‘Ohana shares your commitment to improving the health of our community. We would like to partner with you in combating Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), and its risk for adverse events. We are seeking to expand the number of providers who can offer Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services. Per the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), MAT services use FDA-approved medications in conjunction with counseling and behavioral therapies to provide a "whole-patient" approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.
To prescribe or dispense buprenorphine a physician must complete eight hours of required training (unless a physician holds an appropriate board certification). The board certification or the training is the prerequisite for obtaining the waiver which allows the physician to prescribe MAT. Generally speaking, the waiver would allow a physician to treat 30 patients. However, The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act of 2018 expands the ability of physicians to treat up to 100 patients under specific circumstances with a waiver. To obtain a waiver, physicians would complete an online request. Physicians can also apply online for Patient Limit Increase. To learn more, please visit https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/training-materials-resources/apply-for-practitioner-waiver.
Please visit www.SAMHSA.gov to learn about resources targeted at the treatment of OUD, including:
Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit
https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Opioid-Overdose-Prevention-Toolkit/SMA18-4742
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/training-materials-resources/apply-for-practitioner-waiver
Members who need a higher level of care may search www.findtreatment.gov.
For Ohana’s Provider support, please refer to our Provider Portal at https://provider.wellcare.com.
