U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced bipartisan legislation to help ensure that people who are struggling with addiction can access life-saving medication-assisted treatment (MAT) – the gold standard of addiction care – without dangerous delays. The No Red Tape for Addiction Treatment Act would eliminate prior authorization requirements for people with Medicaid coverage who need medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, removing a bureaucratic barrier that can leave patients waiting days to fill their prescriptions when every moment counts.
This bipartisan bill requires that:
- All state Medicaid programs cover at least one formulation of each FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder without prior authorization, including long-acting injectable options when available.
- The Medicaid and CHIP Payment Advisory Commission issue a report to Congress examining how states use utilization management controls – such as dosing limits, age restrictions, counseling requirements, or psychological screening – for MAT, and how these controls may burden clinicians. The report must also identify other state or federal Medicaid policies that hinder access to treatment.