October 18,2024

Wyden Urges CMS to Expand the Addiction Medicine Workforce for Patients Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP

Fewer than 4,600 physicians are certified in addiction medicine; only around 1,500 are certified in addiction psychiatry

Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to use forthcoming guidance from the agency as an opportunity to expand the addiction medicine workforce that services Americans covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). 

“I have heard from many providers and patients in Oregon about the importance of these clinicians, but persistent shortages of addiction medicine specialists hamper patients’ abilities to access crucial substance use disorder (SUD) services, contributing to the devastating overdose rates we are seeing across the country,” Wyden wrote. “I urge CMS to include in the forthcoming guidance on state promising practices and opportunities to finance, support and expand the availability of addiction medicine specialists specifically.”

In the letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Deputy Administrator Dan Tsai, Wyden emphasized the need to alleviate a substantial shortage of addiction medicine physicians. According to residency match data from this year, only 51 percent of addiction psychiatry fellowship program slots are filled, and only 60 percent of slots for addiction medicine.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (CAA) requires CMS to issue guidance to states by March 2026 on strategies to increase the accessibility of mental health and SUD providers in Medicaid and CHIP, a provision secured by Wyden. These approaches may include education, training, recruitment and retention strategies, with a particular focus on rural and underserved areas.

Wyden has long been an advocate for improving the healthcare workforce. In August, the Senator introduced bipartisan legislation to provide federal support for the education and training of healthcare workers in rural and underserved communities. In May, Wyden released proposals to expand and improve the distribution of Medicare-supported residency programs to rural areas and specialties in shortage.

A web version of the letter is here.

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