Assemblymember Steck: Ag’s Settlement, New Law Help More New Yorkers Receive Immediate Treatment for Opioid Addiction
Assemblymember Phil Steck (D-Colonie) applauded Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s settlement with Anthem, a health insurer that includes Empire BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS), to end their policy requiring pre-authorization for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) of heroin and opioid addiction and pointed out that the Attorney General’s action is enforcing a new law he sponsored.
“Thanks to the attorney general, New Yorkers will have one less barrier to getting life-saving treatment,” said Steck. “Heroin and opioid addiction continues to destroy lives and devastate families in the Capital Region and across the state, and we need to ensure those who need help receive it.”
Due to the prior authorization requirement, approximately 8 percent of patients with Empire BCBS had their requests for MAT denied in 2015 and the first half of 2016.1 In addition to removing the pre-authorization barrier, the settlement also requires Empire BCBS to expand access to MAT and get more physicians trained to dispense this type of treatment on their network.
Steck spearheaded efforts to make it easier for New Yorkers to access affordable, comprehensive treatment for opioid addiction and other substance abuse disorders. Last year, he authored legislation eliminating prior authorization for addiction treatment and requiring insurance companies to provide a five-day emergency supply of medication meant to manage withdrawal symptoms (Ch. 69 of 2016). The law also increased the holding period from 48 to 72 hours for patients admitted to the hospital for an overdose, and mandated hospitals provide discharge planning for these patients.
Steck will continue pushing to pass a bill he authored allowing doctors to hold patients suffering from addiction for up to 90 days if they are a danger to themselves or others (A.9501 of 2016).
“Access to recovery services is absolutely essential for us to tackle this crisis,” said Steck. “I’ll never stop working so more people can get the treatment they need without delays and obstacles.”
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