Medicaid Report on Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations with Substance Use Disorder

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final Report to Congress entitled, “Reducing Barriers to Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations under Medicaid” as required by section 1009(d) of the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). This report identifies best practices and potential solutions for reducing barriers to using services delivered via telehealth for the treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) among pediatric populations under Medicaid.

This report is one of the many CMS efforts to not only understand our state partners’ challenges, but also to provide them with the flexibilities they need to combat the Opioid Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic as well. Below is a list of actions that the Agency has most recently taken to increase access and effectiveness of Medicaid telehealth services:

• March 22nd- Creation of new Medicaid Disaster State Plan Amendment Template
• This tool allows states to temporarily expand coverage to add telehealth as a Medicaid benefit in a public health emergency or disaster.
• April 2nd- Release of the Rural Health Care and Medicaid Telehealth Flexibilities, and Guidance Regarding Section 1009 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act Informational Bulletin
• This bulletin identifies opportunities for telehealth delivery methods to increase access to Medicaid services and federal reimbursement for SUD treatment services delivered via telehealth, including in school-based health centers.
• April 23rd- Release of the Medicaid and CHIP Telehealth Toolkit
• This toolkit helps states strip away regulatory red tape and unleash new telehealth resources to support Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Ongoing telehealth guidance and technical assistance
• CMS has been continuously providing states with a wide variety of guidance, in the form of FAQs, as well as technical assistance sessions directly with the states.
• Reducing Barriers to Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations under Medicaid Report to Congress