MISAM Urges Major Health Plan to Revise Buy and Bill Policy for Injectable MAT

On January 6th, the Michigan Society of Addiction Medicine (MISAM) sent a letter to the leadership of the Health Alliance Plan of Michigan urging that they revise their coverage policy to add a specialty pharmacy benefit for injectable medications for addiction treatment (MAT). Currently, the plan only offers coverage for injectable medications through a system of buy and bill. 

In the letter, MISAM emphasized the need to remove barriers for individuals with addiction to receive treatment. MISAM cited research indicating that MAT increases the likelihood of positive health outcomes for those with substance use disorder (SUD). As such, MISAM stressed that all forms of FDA-approved MAT, including injectable medications, should be readily available without delay or obstruction. Additionally, MISAM noted that buy and bill policies place burdens on providers and often lead to delays in receiving medications. Further, the status of injectable MAT as buy and bill only disadvantages patients who benefit from this type of medication as it is more difficult to obtain. In sum, the current policy of buy and bill only for injectable MAT restricts access to this lifesaving treatment for SUD.

Read the letter here.