BayMark Health Services Opioid Treatment Programs Nationwide Now Accept Medicare

Accredited programs accept Medicare coverage for both methadone and buprenorphine.

BayMark Health Services has announced that they are now able to accept Medicare for medication-assisted treatment services at their Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) across the country. Coverage for treatment with methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone, all FDA-approved medications, as well as counseling, began on January 1^st. All BayMark branded opioid treatment programs are eligible, including BAART Programs, Health Care Resource Centers, MedMark Treatment Centers and Recovery Services of New Mexico, with the exception of our newest programs who have not yet obtained their CARF-accreditation.

The October 24, 2019 signing of opioid bill H.R. 6, referred to as The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, extended this benefit for Medicare subscribers who may have otherwise lost their ability to stay in treatment when they switched from Medicaid to Medicare or for whom treatment was cost-prohibitive when not covered by their Medicare plan.

“We are extremely pleased that Congress has included Medicare coverage of OTPs in the just-passed opioid package,” said Jason Kletter, PhD, president of BayMark Health Services. “This coverage will, once implemented, provide immediate benefit to the roughly 20,000 Medicare beneficiaries currently receiving treatment in OTPs, as well as create treatment access for the 300,000 beneficiaries with a diagnosis of opioid use disorder,” Dr. Kletter told AT Forum. “In addition, Medicare coverage will likely result in greater coverage of OTP services by commercial health plans, exponentially increasing access to high quality, evidence-based MAT across the country.”

BayMark branded OTPs are known across the country as providers of quality, comprehensive medication-assisted treatment and counseling services. Programs provide addiction education, relapse prevention, lab testing, coordinated care for pregnant patients and linkages to community resources to assist patients on their path to recovery. The BayMark mission is to provide comprehensive medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder and other health care services to foster wellness, longevity and socially responsible behavior for the patients we serve.

“BayMark, through our various brands, provides treatment for opioid use disorder. We attempt to match each patient with the best level of care for their individual needs.” shared David K. White, Ph.D., CEO of BayMark Health Services. “Historically, methadone treatment has proven to be the most effective approach to providing affected individuals a real opportunity to recover, in part due to the structure of the OTP. It is great progress for our country that Medicare will now cover methadone treatment, as well as buprenorphine and naltrexone treatment, in the OTP setting. BayMark is happy to be a part of the solution to the opioid epidemic and all initiatives increasing accessibility and affordability of treatment.”

To find a BayMark OTP location near you, visit: Baymark.com/treatment-locations/.

About BayMark Health Services:

BayMark Health Services provides medication-assisted treatment to more than 56,000 patients in recovery from substance use disorder across the United States and Ontario, Canada. Our outpatient programs deliver medically supervised treatment, in a variety of modalities and settings, to meet the diverse needs of our patients who struggle with the use of opioids, alcohol and other prescription and illicit substances. The BayMark continuum of patient-focused services includes: highly structured opioid treatment programs utilizing methadone or buprenorphine and outpatient buprenorphine treatment programs, both of which incorporate counseling as part of an individualized treatment plan for opioid use disorder. Additionally, ambulatory withdrawal management services with naltrexone therapy, and inpatient detoxification services are offered for a variety of substance use disorders.