In Opioid Declaration, Trump Promises to Speed Medicaid Waivers for More Beds

In declaring the opioid crisis a public health emergency, President Donald Trump promised a variety of initiatives aimed at making more treatment available to people who are addicted to heroin and prescription pain pills.

Although federal emergency funds have been nearly depleted because of rescue and recovery efforts following this year’s hurricanes, Trump outlined a number of measures that would make it easier for states to get and use federal money to provide more addiction treatment.

One such measure would waive an antiquated Medicaid rule that prevents treatment facilities with more than 16 beds from receiving reimbursements for addiction services. California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and West Virginia already have received such a waiver. Several other states, including Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Utah and Virginia, have also asked for a waiver.

The move could mean millions of new federal Medicaid dollars would flow to treatment centers that now rely on limited state and local grants.

More federal money would allow small treatment facilities to expand and make their residential addiction treatment services available to low-income people who are disproportionately affected by the epidemic. In his announcement, Trump also said the federal government would give states more flexibility in using other federal grants for opioid addiction prevention and treatment.