W.Va. Seeks Waiver to Fight Opioid Epidemic
January 10, 2017 |by Virgil Dickson
In an effort aimed at the substance abuse epidemic that’s disproportionately killing its residents, West Virginia is asking the CMS to approve a waiver that would expand treatment for Medicaid enrollees.
The state wants to expand the number of community-based and outpatient substance abuse providers, to offer residential treatment and to increase the availability of medication-assisted treatment, which combines the use of medications and behavioral therapy for the treatment of substance abuse disorders. It did not identify how much these efforts would cost.