Analysis of Insurance Coverage for Back Pain Shows Missed Opportunities to Prescribe Non-opioid Medications
A comprehensive analysis of health insurance coverage of non-opioid and opioid medications to treat chronic low back pain concluded that some insurance plans have missed important opportunities to steer patients towards safer and more effective treatments than prescription opioids. These results underscore that while most plans recognize the importance of strategies related to the opioid overdose crisis, there is a need for insurers to encourage the utilization of safe, effective alternatives to prescription opioids. The analysis was published today in JAMA Network Open.
In a cross-sectional study of 2017 health insurance plans, researchers focused on 62 medications to treat low back pain, one of the most common causes of chronic pain in which prescription opioids have been overused. The authors analyzed health insurance plans of 15 Medicaid, 15 Medicare Advantage and 20 commercial insurers comprising 16 states representing more than half the
The study discussed the importance of utilization management, including: quantity limits (limits on the number of pills per prescription); step therapy (requiring that treatment start with a non-opioid medication, such as an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory first before an opioid is prescribed or starting with a specific opioids before other opioids are authorized); and prior authorization (prescriber to contact the insurer for pre-approval before writing a prescription that the insurer will cover). The analysis showed that, in all plans, the quantity limits commonly used for opioids included a 30-day supply, rather than a shorter supply as recommended in the most recent
The analysis was funded by the
For a copy of the paper, published in the JAMA Network Open, go to Prescription Drug Coverage for Treatment of Low Back Pain Among US Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and Commercial Insurers.
For more information about prescription, opioids and pain, go to: Prescription Medicines, Opioids, and Pain.
For more information, contact the NIDA press office at [email protected] or 301-443-6245. Follow NIDA on Twitter and Facebook.
About the
About the
Sens. Collins, King Announce More Than $1 Million in Funding for Maine Primary Care Association
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News