NY Bill Would Provide Telehealth Coverage for Peer Advocates

New York lawmakers are moving forward with a bill that would expand coverage and access to telehealth for substance abuse treatment.

The State Senate this week approved S2998A, which would permanently allow coverage for connected health services delivered by certified recovery peer advocates and credentialed family peer advocates. The bill now passes to the State Assembly.

“The success of telehealth evidenced during the coronavirus pandemic is proof that we should continue to offer this flexibility as a care option,” State Senator Peter Harckham said in a press release. “This means requiring insurers to offer proper reimbursement for peer telehealth services, though. Struggling with costs will push people away from help otherwise.”

With mental health and substance abuse issues soaring during the coronavirus pandemic, state and federal lawmakers are moving to expand access to and coverage of telehealth and mHealth services, including allowing more care providers to use telehealth. This would include peer advocates and counselors and community health and social services providers.

In places like New York, they’re now looking to extend that coverage beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency.

“New York State is still grappling with an overdose crisis - and data now shows the pandemic has complicated an already dire situation and fatal overdoses have skyrocketed, claiming thousands of New Yorkers,” Melissa Moore, director of the New York State Drug Policy Alliance, said in the press release. “Due to the Covid-19 crisis, telehealth services have become more important than ever to ensure that people navigating substance use disorders have access to quality, evidence-based care, and telehealth should be used as widely as possible to continue to provide services to everyone, including our most vulnerable populations.”

“Ensuring telehealth is covered by insurance helps make certain that people can access lifesaving resources remotely and safely, especially peer recovery advocates and harm reduction services,” she added.