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NVSAM Urges Governor to Sign Expanded Coverage for MOUD into Law
On June 12, the Nevada Society of Addiction Medicine (NVSAM) sent a letter to Governor Joe Lombardo urging him to sign SB 300 into law. This legislation would increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in the state.
In the letter, NVSAM highlighted Medicaid as a crucial program for the treatment of individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). Specifically, Medicaid is the largest payer for behavioral health services in the country, including MOUD. NVSAM emphasized that MOUD is a gold standard treatment for OUD, proven to improve health outcomes for the condition. As such, increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates would improve access to MOUD for Nevadans. Further, NVSAM noted that Nevada is falling behind neighboring states, with a lower percentage of Medicaid enrollees receiving MOUD. In turn, enacting SB 300 would help close treatment gaps and improve Nevada’s response to the ongoing overdose epidemic.