I just received this email a moment ago.... U
Post# of 7808
Update on CMS final OPPS Rule and What’s Next
Dear Advocates:
On behalf of Voices for Non-Opioid Choices and our more than 100 members from around the country, I want to thank you for all of your work to date in pushing for policy changes to combat and prevent opioid addiction in America. Make no mistake: our work wouldn’t be possible without each and every one of you and for that, I want to extend our deepest gratitude.
Without your advocacy, we would not have been able to pass the NOPAIN Act last year. The colossal united front we presented, the stories we told, and our collective influence pushed the legislation over the finish line.
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) rule for 2024. Unfortunately, despite our calls – including from governors, individuals, and leading advocacy voices – CMS did not heed our call to accelerate implementation of this law to 2024.
We regret that these calls were ultimately unsuccessful, but we’re not finished. There remains a great deal of critical work to do in the days, weeks, and months ahead. As we look towards our workplan for 2024, we will continue to count on each and every one of you as we continue our work to:
• Ensure CMS accurately implements the NOPAIN Act in a way that ensures robust access to the wide array of proven, safe, and effective non-opioid pain management strategies;
• Ensure that more Americans can access non-opioids, including those who bravely served in our Armed Services, through both the VA and TRICARE systems;
• Push for new policy changes to increase access to non-opioid approaches under Medicare Part D; and
• Obtain dedicated federal funding for a public awareness campaign targeting healthcare professionals about the availability and benefits of multimodal pain strategies.
Clearly, we have much work to do. When we successfully advocated for the passage of the NOPAIN Act, we demonstrated how powerful we can be when we work together for a singular cause. We’ve shown our collective impact and what we are capable of. I am confident we can replicate our success.
Thank you again for all that you have done, and I can't wait for our continued success enacting life-saving policies to prevent opioid addiction.
Best,
Chris Fox,
Executive Director
Voices for Non-Opioid Choices