Some State Medicaid Programs Pay Providers for More Addiction Counseling

Some state Medicaid programs are beginning to pay addiction treatment centers for as much counseling and related medical services as are needed for patients. The move is intended to encourage centers to offer more counseling, according to Stateline.

Maryland, New York, California and New Jersey are using the new fee structure, the article notes. There is a growing consensus among experts that patients who receive a combination of addiction medicine and counseling have better outcomes than those who receive only one or the other.

In 34 states, Medicaid covers methadone treatment. Most states pay a flat daily, weekly or monthly fee for dispensing addiction medicine daily, screening patients’ urine to check for illicit drug use, and asking patients weekly if they need additional help to stay sober.

In those states, Medicaid does not pay a higher rate for patients who need extra counseling. In Maryland, the more counseling a patient needs, the more money Medicaid pays.