ASAM Comments on CMS's Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH) Initiative

On March 26, ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to their request for information related to Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH). In comments to the agency, ASAM emphasized the need to balance protecting patients from fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) with simultaneously protecting patient access to legitimate treatment options. Hence, ASAM encouraged CMS to develop a balanced approach that protects patients from unethical practices, promotes access to FDA-approved treatment options, targets truly suspicious "care," supports the appropriate use of drug testing, and uses artificial intelligence responsibly to identify program integrity risks.