Increase Accessibility to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders

 

This act seeks to make it easier for Minnesotans struggling with opioid use disorders (OUD) to be able to access

treatments for opioid addictions quicker and more efficiently. This act expands upon Minnesota’s previous legislation on

medication-assisted treatments’ (MAT) required coverage by health care and insurance providers. Under this act, all

health plans in Minnesota, including Medicaid, must provide coverage for the cost of initiation visits to start

treatments (providing equal coverage to both in-person or telehealth visits), including related services such as:

patient evaluation, diagnosis of OUD, same-day induction, therapy services, and follow-up care plans. This act increases

access by requiring mandatory coverage in order to increase access to MAT through telehealth, and remove barriers to

treatment.

 

While the state of Minnesota has moved to include parity in its provisions for MAT accessibility, this alone is not

enough to provide what is needed. In 2022, of the 4% of U.S. adults who were diagnosed and needed OUD treatment, only

25% of them received the recommended medications for opioid detox, nervous system regulation, and to decrease the chance

of relapsing. Medications for OUD, such as buprenorphine and methadone, substantially reduce overall mortality of

opioid-related overdoses. By requiring equal care to in-person and telehealth consults, the state is increasing access

to patients in rural or underserved communities who need such medications for their survival, but aren’t able to access

them through their conventional physician. Expanding coverage to include same-day induction, the state will provide many

more with early intervention in order to save countless more lives.

 

“Medication-assisted treatment” (MAT): the use of FDA-approved medications to treat opioid addiction by decreasing

neurological and physical dependence/withdrawal symptoms and decreasing chance of future overdose; also known as opioid

agonists.

“Telehealth”: visit with a medical provider via video or audio connection in place of traditional in-person provider

appointments.

“Initiative visit”: the first medical appointment with a healthcare provider, in-person or telehealth, in order to

diagnose opioid use disorders and assess a course of treatment, typically involving MAT.

“Same-day induction”: patient is prescribed and administered MAT medication the same day as the initial visit

“Health plan”: any insurance company that provides medical, mental health, or substance abuse disorder coverage.

“Parity”: Minnesota laws requiring insurance companies to treat mental health and substance use disorder treatment the

same as physical medical treatment.

 

The legislature appropriates $550,000 from the Minnesota Health Care Access Fund in the fiscal year of 2027 to the

Department of Human services to implement this act. The Department may use federal Medicaid matching funds to cover

additional and ongoing costs.

 

The Department of Commerce is authorized to monitor private health plans’ compliance with the act, while the Department

of Human Services will ensure Medicaid’s compliance. If a health plan is suspected or found to be violating the act, the

Commissioner of the corresponding Department holds the right to penalize said health plan to the full extent already in

law.

 

This act takes effect January 1, 2027.