News
ASAM Calls for Medicaid Policies that Recognize Recovery Is Work
On July 27, 2026, ASAM submitted comments to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the agency's Interim Final Rule (IFR) implementing Medicaid community engagement/work reporting requirements. While ASAM emphasized that meaningful community engagement, including employment, can be an important component of recovery, participating in those activities is fundamentally different from complying with ongoing administrative reporting and verification requirements that could undermine recovery by creating barriers to maintaining Medicaid coverage and access to treatment.
In its letter, ASAM also highlighted critical clinical considerations for how states should apply the statutory exemption for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) who are considered "medically frail or otherwise have special medical needs." While ASAM remains concerned that certain aspects of the IFR may improperly narrow the statutory SUD exclusion, the letter focuses on practical steps CMS can take to ensure implementation aligns with the clinical realities of addiction medicine and protects patients from losing access to essential care.
Read the letter here.