WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), today urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help states provide medication-assisted treatment – the clinical gold standard for treating opioid use disorder – for people in jail or prison who will soon be re-entering society. The approval of all relevant Section 1115 Medicaid waiver applications would allow 18 states, including West Virginia, to support pre-release addiction treatment for people in correctional facilities.
“As our communities continue to face the fentanyl crisis, we urge you to immediately expand access to pre-release medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder in correctional settings by approving all relevant pending Section 1115 Medicaid waiver applications,” the senators wrote. “We strongly support allowing states to treat individuals before they return to their communities, so that they are more ready to transition to community-based addiction treatment when they return home. This continuity of addiction care is the best way to ensure that people are prepared to stay in treatment when they are released from jail or prison.”
“The case for beginning MAT in jails and prisons before release has been strongly established by medical research. Initiating treatment in this setting reduces individuals’ chances of relapse and helps them navigate a challenging transition period. Pre-release addiction treatment can also save money for state Medicaid programs,” the senators continued. “We urge you to take immediate action to approve the pending Section 1115 waiver applications. We look forward to working with you to ensure that CMS does everything it can to help combat the fentanyl crisis.”
Full text of the letter is available here.
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