AMA and CMA praise Atty. Gen. Becerra for supporting MAT

The American Medical Association (AMA) and California Medical Association (CMA) applaud California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for his support for patients with a substance use disorder. Becerra has called for health insurance companies to immediately stop delaying or denying care to patients who need treatment for a substance use disorder. These practices include requiring patients to obtain “prior authorization” for medication-assisted treatment (MAT). According to the U.S. Surgeon General, MAT is the gold standard for treatment for those with a substance use disorder

“There is no reason for health insurance companies to require patients to jump through hoops when they are seeking care for a substance use disorder,” said AMA President-elect Patrice A. Harris, M.D., MA, who chairs the AMA Opioid Task Force. “Tens of thousands of patients are dying in our nation each year in this epidemic, and it will not end unless our patients have increased access, without delay, to high-quality, evidence-based medical care.”