Dr. Shawn Ryan and KYSAM urge passage of bill to remove prior authorization for MAT

On February 26, Dr. Shawn Ryan, the Chair of ASAM’s Legislative Advocacy Committee, testified before the Kentucky House Committee on Banking and Insurance in support of HB349. The bill would prohibit an insurer or Medicaid plan from requiring or conducting a prospective or concurrent review for a prescription drug containing methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone that is used in the treatment of opioid use disorder.

In his testimony, Dr. Ryan stressed the importance of removing prior authorization requirements from medications for addiction treatment (MAT), noting that prior authorization poses a significant barrier to evidence-based treatment. His testimony was augmented by a letter of support from the Kentucky Society of Addiction Medicine urging passage of the bill.

Read HB389 here. 

Read the letter here.