ASAM Welcomes Reintroduction of Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Medicare Coverage for Residential Addiction Treatment

"Substance use disorders impact people of all ages, including our nation's seniors, who unfortunately do not have Medicare coverage for the full range of addiction treatment services. Lack of Medicare coverage for non-hospital-based residential addiction treatment programs can put seniors at risk of forgoing the care that best fits their needs, potentially leading to more costly hospitalizations and poorer health outcomes,” said Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM, president of ASAM. “The Residential Recovery for Seniors Act reduces the cost barrier for seniors by extending coverage to this level of care. By conditioning Medicare reimbursement on meeting national quality standards, it also helps ensure that patients are receiving high-quality, evidence-based treatment services that can lead to recovery."  

Non-hospital-based residential addiction treatment is the only level of care not covered by Medicare. This creates an access barrier for Medicare beneficiaries, the majority of which are seniors. In 2023, over six million Medicare patients had a substance use disorder (SUD), but less than 25% received treatment. One in three cite financial barriers as a reason for not seeking care. Strengthening patient access to the full continuum of SUD care can help avert costly hospitalizations and emergency care stays that may occur when SUD goes untreated. 

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