A recent article in The New York Times highlighted the shocking statistic that Black men in their mid-50s to early 70s in Baltimore are dying from overdoses at a rate 20 times higher than the rest of the country. In response, the Center for Medicare Advocacy joined with Legal Action Center and Medicare Rights Center to renew calls for structural changes in Medicare to ensure that all older adults have access to substance use disorder treatment.
The joint statement called for improved coverage of substance use disorder medications and services, enhancing the Medicare workforce of addiction treatment providers and facilities, improvements to network adequacy standards in private Medicare Advantage plans, and application of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act to Medicare.
The New York Times Article: In Baltimore’s Senior Homes, Overdoses Plague a Forgotten Generation – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
The CMA, MRC and LAC response can be read here.