“The fact that there are clinics that accept only out-of-pocket payments greatly diminishes the credibility of buprenorphine treatment in the broader community, contradicts some of the foundational ethics of our profession, and prevents a much more effective response in improving the access and care of individuals with untreated opioid use disorder,” states authors Yale School of Medicine’s David Fiellin, MD, professor of medicine (general internal medicine), of emergency medicine and public health and Art Van Zee, MD, St. Charles Clinic, Stone Mountain Health Services in their recent editorial in the American Journal of Public Health.
In their piece, “Proliferation of Cash-Only Buprenorphine Treatment Clinics: A Threat to the Nation’s Response to the Opioid Crisis,” the duo discusses the practice of many medical offices of not accepting insurance to cover the cost of buprenorphine, which has been found to be the most effective treatment for opioid use disorder.
They urge physicians to “examine our own practices and work to ensure inclusion of the most vulnerable. Professional medical organizations and medical societies could have clear policies against this type of practice,” and offer recommendations on ways to combat this issue.
To read Fiellin and Van Zee’s editorial, review Proliferation of Cash-Only Buprenorphine Treatment Clinics: A Threat to the Nation’s Response to the Opioid Crisis.