Virginia rolls out new substance use disorder benefit

Virginia’s Medicaid program is launching a new Addiction and Recovery Treatment Services benefit today meant to provide help for those with substance use disorders across the state.

The benefit — also referred to as ARTS — was prompted by the Governor’s Task Force on Prescription Drug and Heroin Abuse, which submitted 51 recommendations to Gov. Terry McAuliffe in the summer of 2015, including increasing Medicaid rates for addiction treatment.

The ARTS benefit will increase provider rates for substance use intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, day treatment, case management and medication assisted treatment for opioid addiction.

The rates have not increased since 2007, so few providers actually offered Medicaid patients those services, said Dr. Kate Neuhausen, chief medical officer with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services.

Read more: http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/virginia-rolls-out-new-substance-use-disorder-benefit/article_042c34bc-d222-544d-8562-aa3e5dae4bec.html