Iowa removes barriers to treatment of opioid use disorder

National and state physicians are congratulating the Iowa Legislature and Gov. Reynolds for their roles in passing a law that will result in more state residents receiving treatment for opioid use disorder.

The new law will remove common barriers that keep patients from accessing the gold standard for treating opioid use disorder. That treatment, known as medication assisted treatment (MAT), relies on medication prescribed by a physician. Yet, patients have difficulty securing this treatment partly because insurance providers set up obstacles, such as requiring physicians to get approval before providing treatment. This is known as prior authorization.