Rethinking Telehealth’s Role in Treating Addiction

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, treating substance use disorder using telehealth was incredibly rare, due in part to federal and state restrictions and limited reimbursement. But when the pandemic hit, restrictions were rolled back, and telehealth skyrocketed. A year and a half later, policymakers are grappling with if and how they should permanently change policies around telehealth and addiction treatment.

This Tradeoffs podcast episode, made possible through a partnership with the Better Care Playbook, explores how this debate is playing out in Ohio, one of the epicenters of the opioid epidemic. The episode features a new mom who says telehealth kept her sober through her pregnancy, a provider worried that flexibilities will go away, and a researcher who shares what the field has learned about what works when it comes to telehealth and addiction treatment.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE

More on Telehealth in Complex Care
The accelerated adoption of telehealth amid the pandemic demonstrates that virtual care can help keep people safe from infection and stay on track with their health care. It also shows the promise of telehealth beyond times of crisis. Explore the latest evidence behind telehealth for people with complex needs and what successful models look like in practice in the Playbook’s Telehealth Collection.

About the Center for Health Care Strategies
The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is a policy design and implementation partner devoted to improving outcomes for people enrolled in Medicaid. We support partners across sectors and disciplines to make more effective, efficient, and equitable care possible for millions of people across the nation.