AB 395: Substance use treatment providers.

Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to license narcotic treatment programs to use narcotic replacement therapy in the treatment of addicted persons and makes legislative findings in support of coordinated narcotic treatment programs in this regard. Existing law specifies the controlled substances a licensed narcotic treatment program may use for narcotic replacement therapy by licensed narcotic treatment programs, including federally approved, controlled substances used for narcotic treatment. Existing law authorizes the department to approve an office-based narcotic treatment program in a remote site, if certain conditions are met, that include, among others, a physician at a remote site may treat up to a maximum number of 20 patients, who are provided with a specific pharmacological treatment.

This bill would add the use of medication-assisted treatment as an authorized service by narcotic treatment programs licensed by the department, and would, in that regard, make legislative findings and declarations that it is in the best interest of the health and welfare of the people of this state to also coordinate medication-assisted treatments for substance use disorders. The bill would modify the specific controlled substances authorized for use by licensed narcotic treatment programs for narcotic replacement therapy and medication-assisted treatment to instead allow medication approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for the purpose of narcotic replacement treatment or medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders, and refer to medications, rather than controlled substances, and would authorize the department to implement, interpret, or make specific this provision by means of plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions and require the department to adopt regulations no later than January 1, 2021. The bill would modify the conditions for the department to authorize an office-based narcotic treatment program in a remote site to authorize a physician to treat a number of patients specified under the United States Drug Enforcement Administration registration and modify the types of authorized pharmacological treatments for narcotic addiction and substance use disorder. The bill would make other conforming changes to related provisions.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes the Drug Medi-Cal Treatment Program (Drug Medi-Cal), under which the department is authorized to enter into contracts with each county for the provision of various alcohol and drug treatment services, including substance use disorder services, narcotic treatment program services, naltrexone services, and outpatient drug-free services, to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Existing law generally requires bills for service under the Medi-Cal program to be submitted not more than 6 months after the month in which the service is rendered.

This bill would require bills for services under Drug Medi-Cal to be submitted no later than 6 months from the date of service.