On May 21, CMS held a listening session on Opioid Use Disorder Treatment to solicit feedback from those prescribing opioids and those providing treatment for opioid use disorder.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) hosted the 90-minute virtual Listening Session to inform development of an opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment demonstration program created through the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act.

The listening session focus included:

• Obtaining input from providers and other stakeholders into the design of the demonstration program, including performance-based incentive payments.
• Identifying and understanding what the biggest barriers to increasing access to and utilization of OUD treatment are, in a post-SUPPORT Act era.
• Assessment and understanding of provider interest in and challenges related to value- based payment models for OUD treatment.
• Obtaining a better understand how providers measure and define quality OUD treatment and successful treatment outcomes.
• Assessing the level of potential interest in the demonstration program from stakeholders and eligible program participants

The Innovation Center described their intention to integrate the feedback and input into the design of the project and other actions by HHS and CMS on reducing opioid dependency and treating patients suffering from addiction.