Hospitals, rural providers can apply to participate in SUD treatment demo

Hospital outpatient departments, critical access hospitals, rural health clinics and other eligible providers may apply through Jan. 3 to participate in the Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment demonstration. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act of 2018 created the four-year demonstration, which aims to increase access to OUD treatment services for eligible Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, including those dually eligible for Medicaid. The demonstration will offer participating providers a per-beneficiary care management fee and performance-based incentive payment in addition to the usual Medicare OUD coverage. For details, see the CMS request for applications.