Illinois Will Provide More Coverage for Opioid Addiction in 2020

Illinois consumers covered under the Affordable Care Act will have access to expanded coverage for opioid addiction in 2020. The move comes after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved the state’s request to add the new benefits.

For example, initial prescriptions of opioids with dosages of 50 MME will be accompanied by a prescription for at least one nasal spray as an emergency treatment for overdoses.

Under the new benefits, short-term opioid prescriptions for acute pain will be provided for no longer than a week, and telepsychiatry care provided by both a prescriber and therapist will become a covered benefit.