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  • February 19, 2020 10:40 AM | Anonymous

    Wisconsin Health News

    Ned Daniels Jr., chairman of the Forest County Potawatomi Community, called for more action on the opioid epidemic during the annual State of the Tribes address Tuesday.

    “We must maintain a sharp focus on improving the lives of those we represent in the new decade as we grapple with the responsibility of addressing complex changes before us,” he told lawmakers. “And there is no challenge more complex than that of the opioid epidemic.”

    The crisis has hit native communities across the state especially hard, Daniels said.

    “Opioids are tearing apart our communities,” he said. “One by one, they are killing our people. They are leaving our families devastated, and our young ones without parents.”

    Daniels thanked Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, and other lawmakers for their work on the Heroin, Opioid Prevention and Education Agenda.

    He said it’s important that the approaches aren’t “one size fits all" and allow native communities to provide treatment according to their cultural beliefs.

    He noted there are few places that provide such treatment, leading Wisconsin tribes to work on developing a youth wellness and treatment center.

    They plan to locate the facility centrally between the tribal nations where it'll be a hub for children needing treatment. Lawmakers have supported the project.

    “This facility has the potential to do great things, and we hope that you will continue to work with us on this endeavor,” he said.

  • February 18, 2020 1:30 PM | Anonymous

    Wisconsin Health News

    One of the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute's first projects will be on the opioid crisis, according to a recent statement.

    The institute, a partnership between Northwestern Mutual, Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, announced its first projects last week.

    The opioid-focused project will involve using public data from local sources and "geospatial analysis" to study opioid overdoses in the city. That project will launch Feb. 21, and investigators hope it could provide insights to help other communities around the country.

  • February 07, 2020 7:57 AM | Anonymous

    JAMA - American Medical Association
    Sarah E. Wakeman, MD1,2Marc R. Larochelle, MD, MPH3,4Omid Ameli, MD, MPH5et al 

    The increasing burden of opioid use disorder (OUD) has resulted in increased opioid-related morbidity and mortality, with 47 600 overdose deaths in 2017 alone.1-3 From 2002 to 2012, hospitalization costs attributable to opioid-related overdose increased by more than $700 million annually.4 Associated health complications, such as hepatitis C infection, HIV infection, and serious injection-related infections, are also increasing.5-7 In addition, as rates of opioid-related death have increased despite decreases in prescription opioid supply, there is an increasing recognition that greater attention must be paid to improving access to effective OUD treatment.8,9

    Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is effective and improves mortality, treatment retention, and remission, but most people with OUD remain untreated.10-15 Many parts of the United States lack access to buprenorphine prescribers, and only a few addiction treatment programs offer all forms of MOUD. 16-18 This lack of access has resulted in a treatment gap of an estimated 1 million people with OUD untreated with MOUD annually.19

    Nationally representative, comparative effectiveness studies of MOUD compared with nonpharmacologic treatment are limited. One prior study 12 compared MOUD with psychosocial treatments but was limited to a Massachusetts Medicaid population. Studies 20-23 examining OUD treatment among nationally representative populations have examined trends in MOUD initiation, patterns of OUD treatment, and effectiveness of different types of MOUD at reducing overdose using Medicaid and commercial claims data. However, none of those studies 20-23 compared the effectiveness of MOUD with nonpharmacologic treatments in a national sample. Despite better access to medical care, only a few commercially insured patients are treated with MOUD, and psychosocial-only treatments continue to be common, suggesting that greater understanding of the comparative effectiveness of these different treatments is needed.21

    In this study, we used a large, nationally representative database of commercially insured and Medicare Advantage (MA) individuals to evaluate the effectiveness of MOUD compared with nonpharmacologic treatment. This retrospective comparative effectiveness study was designed to inform treatment decisions made by policy makers, insurers, practitioners, and patients.

    Read more. 

  • February 03, 2020 2:29 PM | Anonymous

    The American Journal of Psychiatry / Nora D. Volkow, M.D. 

    You can read a glimpse of the article here and if you wish to read the entire article, you'll have to login or subscribe.

  • February 03, 2020 10:16 AM | Anonymous

    Wisconsin Health News

    Rogers Behavioral Health has gained approval to break ground this spring on a new location in Sheboygan, according to a statement released last week.

    The $4 million facility is expected to open late this year or early 2021. Its support comes from an anonymous donor.

    The location will include a 10,000-square-foot outpatient clinic to treat OCD, anxiety, depression, other mood disorders and co-occurring substance use disorder in adults and adolescents.

    It'll be able to serve up to 12 teenagers and 28 adults at a time.

    A living space adjacent to the clinic will provide supportive living services for up to 12 adults at a time.
  • January 31, 2020 9:56 AM | Anonymous

    Wisconsin Medical Society - Medigram

    More than 260 people have taken the new online Bucket Approach training for clinicians to learn how to help patients with serious or significant mental illness quit smoking. The course, developed by UW-CTRI Researcher Dr. Bruce Christiansen, offers 8.25 free continuing education credits.

    The project is funded by the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Care and Treatment Services. Donna Reimer, the grant administrator, serves with Christiansen on a steering committee focusing on helping patients with behavioral health issues to quit smoking (WiNTiP).

    Read More.

  • January 30, 2020 10:37 AM | Anonymous

    Wisconsin Health News

    The Department of Health Services is planning to re-work a benefit for residential treatment for substance use disorder that was set to start Feb. 1. The agency delayed implementation last Friday.

    Curtis Cunningham, assistant administrator for long-term care benefits and programs at the Division of Medicaid Services, said during a Wednesday webinar they consider the review a “fresh restart” on the policy. 

    “This is the start of a conversation, not an end,” Cunningham said.

    There’s no new timeline on implementing the benefit, but they’re hoping to start a work group in the next 30 days to weigh in, he said.

    Pam Appleby, director of the Bureau of Benefits Management at the Division of Medicaid Services, said they heard concerns about the benefit, including requests that the agency ensure rates cover costs, provide reimbursement timely and have a fast, streamlined authorization process.

    “We understand that delays can cause a member to walk away and never come back,” Appleby said.

    Other concerns were about housing for members, discharge requirements for patients who don't have homes and how the benefit would work with those in the corrections system.

    The agency also heard that some providers who offer specialized services that go beyond the basic benefit requirements need a reimbursement system that would cover their cost.

    They’ve also heard feedback from counties support the benefit and its impact. And they’ve also had conversations about funding for room and board and how to keep local governments involved in the treatment, Appleby said.

  • January 27, 2020 10:11 AM | Anonymous

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Most of the 34 million adult Americans who smoke cigarettes want to quit. But smoking will remain the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the U.S. unless more is done to help them quit. In his new report, Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General, VADM Dr. Jerome M. Adams calls on everyone, including healthcare professionals, health systems, employers, insurers, public health professionals, and policy makers, to take action to put an end to the staggering—and completely preventable—human and financial tolls that smoking takes on our country.

    This feature article introduces the 2020 Surgeon General’s Report, the first one since 1990 to focus solely on the health benefits of quitting smoking. Since 1990, more research is available that confirms quitting smoking entirely is still the best way to improve your current and future health.

    Read more.


  • January 22, 2020 6:27 AM | Anonymous

    On January 21, 2020 Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine President David Galbis-Reig, MD, DFASAM and Wisconsin State Representative John Nygren were able to speak at a press conference with the announcement of eliminating prior authorization for medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder patients.

    You can read more in the AP article here or the Wisconsin Health News article here.

  • January 09, 2020 1:06 PM | Anonymous

    Wisconsin Health News

    Officials from the Department of Health Services expressed broad support for the latest package of bills from Rep. John Nygren’s Heroin, Opioid Prevention and Education Agenda but called for some modifications, during a Senate Committee on Health and Human Services hearing on Wednesday.

    Earlier in the hearing, Nygren said he was open to changes.

    “We’ve been working with DHS,” said the Marinette Republican. “These issues are some of the remaining pieces that we have been working on with our friends from the Pew Charitable Trusts to address the gaps in our system.”

    Paul Krupski, director of opioid initiatives for DHS, said that a measure requiring the department to reimburse peer recovery coaches as a Medicaid benefit would, as written, have to be paid for with all state dollars. That’s because the federal government won’t provide matching funds for peer-provided services unless that individual is supervised by a licensed mental health professional, Krupski said. The bill proposes that they are supervised by another peer with certain training.

    “With some changes, there may be opportunity to draw down federal matching funds and better preserve the existing workforce by either building upon our existing certified peer specialists infrastructure, or by providing DHS with additional oversight of the training and other requirements so that the department can align it with the existing infrastructure,” he said.

    Nygren said that adding the supervision is “something we are willing to look at to make sure we maximize our federal dollars.” He said the state has seen a spike in peer recovery coaches because they are an effective tool in navigating the complicated system of addiction. 

    Krupski also pushed back against legislation that would require the department to establish and maintain a registry of approved recovery residencies. Under the bill, DHS may not include a recovery residence in the registry if it excludes any resident solely on the basis that the resident participates in medication-assisted treatment. 

    Krupski said that while DHS recognizes medication-assisted treatment as a “valid, evidence-based therapy,” many of the residencies do not accept individuals receiving the treatment.

    “We must carefully consider the impact of creating a statewide registry of residencies which, as a prerequisite to receiving state or federal pass through funding, must not exclude a resident solely on the basis that they are participating in MAT,” Krupski said. “The Legislature will need to weigh the potential unintended consequences of eliminating state funding for current sober housing options that do not allow their residents to use MAT.”

    Nygren said he would be open to an amendment phasing in the requirements.

    “[DHS] has a concern about putting existing houses that may discriminate currently with someone on medication-assisted treatment out of business,” Nygren said. “That is not the goal of myself or anyone who supports this bill.”

    Meanwhile, Krupski praised legislation that would allow for the Medicaid reimbursement of acupuncturists and increase the Joint Finance Committee’s supplemental appropriation by $1 million to boost payments for chiropractors and physical therapists. Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a similar measure in the budget that did not include reimbursement for acupuncture. 

    “The Department supports efforts to reimburse providers for non-opioid and non-pharmacological pain management techniques,” Krupski said.

    Other bills in the package would:

    • Require DHS to study the availability of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in prisons and jails.
    • Extend a sunset to 2025 for a law requiring prescribers to check a patient’s records in the state’s prescription drug monitoring program before issuing a prescription order.
    • Repeal a sunset for a law that grants immunity from prosecution for certain controlled substance crimes and from having probation, parole or extended supervision revoked for possessing a controlled substance for those calling for help for another person suffering an overdose and overdose victims who complete a drug treatment program.
    • Require the Medical Examining Board to issue guidelines on the best practices for treating neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine
563 Carter Court, Suite B,
Kimberly, WI 54136

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