Minnesota Attempts to Gain Medicaid for Patients

MINNEAPOLIS - May 29, 2018 - PRLog -- Drug abuse programs in Minneapolis may be impacted by the governor's request for changes to the Medicaid rules.

Minnesota asked for exemption from a rule, originally written in 1965, that prevents federal-state Medicaid drug abuse programs from giving funding to drug abuse treatment centers that place over 16 beds.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services placed the official request which also included a waiver timeline of the availability of Medicaid for people in drug abuse programs.

The waiver request illustrated Minnesota's plan for opioid prevention projects and a timeline for how prescription drugs will be monitored as well as improving warning efforts.

The department indicated a high need for treatment and recovery efforts and that included grants for collaborative treatment efforts, drug abuse disorder reform, medication-assisted treatment and better care for high-risk pregnancies.

If the request is granted, more Medicaid money would flow in to bigger substance abuse treatment centers in Minnesota, which would allow access to treatment services for people on low income and cut down on waiting lists.

Minneapolis has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic and could benefit from this waiver request. Hennepin County, where Minneapolis is located, saw a recent uptake in drug overdoses.

There were 175 opioid-related overdose deaths in Hennepin County in 2017, a surge from 153 in 2016, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.

https://www.drugaddictionnow.com/2018/05/29/drug-abuse-pr...