ASAM Thanks Cigna and New York Attorney General Schneiderman for Eliminating Prior Authorization Requirements for Medications Used for Addiction Treatment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bob Davis, 301-547-4112

Chevy Chase, MD, October 21, 2016 –

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) commends Cigna and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for negotiating a national agreement to no longer require prior authorization for medications to treat addiction involving opioid use. This unprecedented policy change by a national commercial insurer will ensure patients can access treatment when needed and will surely save lives.

“ASAM applauds Attorney General Schneiderman’s agreement with Cigna to discontinue the requirement of prior authorization requirements for coverage of buprenorphine containing medication. There is often a small window of opportunity for a person seeking help to engage in treatment. Waiting for days to obtain medication to treat this condition represents an unnecessary risk for a deadly outcome. Hopefully, other payers will follow Cigna’s lead in decreasing barriers to access to this lifesaving medication,” said Kelly Clark, MD, MBA, DFAPA, DFASAM President Elect, American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Cigna has consistently demonstrated leadership among insurers and health plans in its work to address the epidemic of opioid misuse, addiction and overdose deaths. This policy change complements Cigna’s other efforts to prevent and treat addiction among its members, such as encouraging the rapid adoption of the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and its work with ASAM and Brandeis University to use claims data to identify best practices in addiction treatment. By eliminating prior authorization requirements, Cigna continues their efforts to be a leader in the fight against addiction and ASAM encourages other insurers to follow suit.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine is a national medical specialty society representing over 4,300 physicians and associated professionals. Its mission is to increase access to and improve the quality of addiction treatment, to educate physicians, and other health care providers and the public, to support research and prevention, to promote the appropriate role of the physician in the care of patients with addictive disorders, and to establish Addiction Medicine as a specialty recognized by professional organizations, governments, physicians, purchasers and consumers of health care services and the general public. ASAM was founded in 1954, and has had a seat in the American Medical Association House of Delegates since 1988.

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