LSAM Submits Letter in Support of Bill to Require Use of the ASAM Criteria

On March 18, the Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine (LSAM) submitted a letter in support of SB213, which would require that medical necessity determinations related to substance use disorder (SUD) be made in accordance with the ASAM Criteria by certain insurance policies.

The letter noted that usage of the ASAM Criteria is associated with less morbidity, better client functioning, and more efficient service utilization than mismatched treatment. Furthermore, the Criteria have been found to have valid clinical decision-making guidelines, good feasibility and reliability through standardized computer assessment instruments, and good concurrent validity in treating patients throughout the multidimensional assessments.

Read the bill here.

Read the letter here.