An Act To Reduce Costs and Increase Access to Methadone Treatment

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §20010  is enacted to read:

§ 20010.  Methadone treatment

The department shall take the following steps to reduce the cost of and increase access to methadone treatment.

Sec. 2. Rules. The Department of Health and Human Services shall amend the rules for licensed methadone treatment clinics to eliminate the requirement that the centers be open for administration of methadone treatment on Sundays. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. The department shall work with current clinics, potential licensees, federal parties and other stakeholder groups to address barriers to providing this service that exist in rules and policies at local, state and national levels.

summary

This bill proposes to decrease costs of and increase access to substance abuse treatment services by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to increase the number of federally qualified health centers that provide methadone treatment services, to require enrollment at the clinic closest to the person's home and to work to facilitate access to services and distribution of services across the State. The bill requires the department to amend the methadone clinic rules to eliminate the requirement that the centers be open for administration of methadone treatment on Sundays. The bill designates the rules as routine technical rules. The department is required to work with stakeholders to address current rules and policies that act as barriers to achieve the intent of this legislation.