medicaid and narcotic pain meds

Yesterday my doctor told me that medicaid/Mainecare wants all patients on narcotics off them in 90 days. Has anyone else heard of this?

Kaely,

That is awful! I hope everything works out for you especially since you are finally trying out new medication. That is so very very wrong that just because someone is on assistance they cant get the care that they need, it just drives me crazy, its like what are you supposed to do? What are the people who are on Mainecare supposed to do? Suffer? That is so wrong! I hope everything works out for you and i hope everyone has a low pain day.

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My DX: There is fairly advanced, moderate to severe degenerative disk disease at L3-L4 and L4-L5 with endplate sclerosis and osteophyte formation and moderate facet osteoarthropathy. There is a transitional left lumbosacral segment with articulation of the transitional segment and the sacrum, also referred to as Bertolotti syndrome. There are degenerative changes at C5-C6 with disk space narrowing and spurring and uncovertebral spurring.

Just....that link does not work...It takes you to the Maine.gov website but it shows an error for the link itself...

I think there has to be more to the story.

Many states are requiring non certified Pain Management Drs. to get new and ongoing certification to prescribe narcotics...

So...many PCPs or Internist, or non PM Drs. are deciding to refer their patients elsewhere or tell them that they can no longer prescribe narcotics..

This does not mean that in the the state of Maine...with Medicare/Mainecare that no patient is allowed to be on narcotics...Maincare/Medicaid is a federal/state run program that is just like all the other Medicaid programs in all the other states.

There are too many in hospice..or cancer patients, or all those who have had surgery, or even many of us who have chronic pain etc...that require narcotics..

Justanotherday...after surgery....a surgeon is normally only allowed to prescribe narcotics for a certain period of time. This is for "acute" pain. But if it moves to "chronic" pain after a few months....then they have to refer you elsewhere.

This is happening everywhere in the US little by little based on state legislation.

Their reasoning is that just like a surgeon...you have to have extra training, schooling, and certification to perform surgery. As in, our Primary Dr. is not going to do brain surgery on us LOL.

Now, any Dr. with a DEA number can prescribe narcotics.

So they are now wanting other non PM Drs. to "specialize" in handling pain both acute and chronic and the prescribing of narcotics/opiates if they want to continue doing so. They will have to prove to the DEA that they have done the appropriate training and update this yearly.

PM Drs. have years of training in this. It's also about providing compreshensive plans to use many modalities to help someone's pain and not just medication...*Yes...there are some PM's that do not do medications....this is important to know before going to one.

The DEA working with the states are also having more strict standards on who can be prescribed narcotics as in the PM Dr. needs to be monitoring things more closely and put in the greatest detail of why the patient needs them.

The sad part is that because of so many people abusing narcotics, along with too many Drs. giving them out too freely....I remember 20 plus years ago when the standard was Percocet 5mg for everything and only a week or two...I had broken bones...or surgeries....etc...And that was what you were prescribed...

So it's terrible timing with more diseases that cause chronic pain like Fibromyalgia, or the amount of baby boomers and people with chronic pain with spine issues...knee problems...arthritis...etc. that require some type of pain management....

This was not as prevalant 20, 25 plus years ago..

Anyway....This is all from everything I have read/studies and talked with my PM about.

If I am specifically wrong about Mainecare and there is a link I can read straight from the government website that says narcotics will no longer be prescribed to anyone in Maine with Medicaid which is a federal program that is run by each state....than I apologize..

Post Edited (Snowbunny21) : 6/13/2012 8:33:14 AM (GMT-6)

It looks like the law is not saying that everyone has to be off all narcotics and this is what I was disputing...

So Oxycontin and Vicoden can be giving to those with Cancer and AIDS....but ALL narcotics are not limited....And there are plenty of other narcotics from which to choose if needed as a non cancer patient...

I think there are a few other states like Florida that have now capped certain medication...

That's all I was trying to say was that there will never be a law that all narcotics are banned for anyone....But as mentioned...things are getting more highly regulated and it's imperative that all of us as chronic pain patients know the laws and especially if they are not being treated by a PM...then look into when/if they may have to be referred over.

I appreciate the other link to read....Although I do think those with Maincare should read the specific law and not just rely on an article in Huffpost...

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SB and "the pup who snores loudly" 

ACDF C5-C7, (no hardware), with autograft bone Nov. 2001

(reabsorption of bone 2 years later...still lost in body..expect to burp it out at anytime..haha")) 

ACDF with hardware, allograft bone Nov. 2005 

Anterior and Posterior CDF, allograft bone with BMP, removal of old hardware, use of titanium plates, rods, screws, & kitchen sink (lol) Oct 2006

 

 

Isn't that just referencing the Oxycontin and Vicodin? That is what the article suggests...

As well as "newly prescribed" these drugs...

My point is that not "all" narcotics are being banned to "all" people on Medicaid/Mainecare....

Again...it's important to those who could possibly affected talk directly to Mainecare as well as their Dr.

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SB and "the pup who snores loudly" 

ACDF C5-C7, (no hardware), with autograft bone Nov. 2001

(reabsorption of bone 2 years later...still lost in body..expect to burp it out at anytime..haha")) 

ACDF with hardware, allograft bone Nov. 2005 

Anterior and Posterior CDF, allograft bone with BMP, removal of old hardware, use of titanium plates, rods, screws, & kitchen sink (lol) Oct 2006

 

 

The situation here in Maine is ridiculous. I'm glad that I am on federal medicare and not Mainecare anymore, but I really feel bad for those who are. The idea that the government can interfere in these matter is just ludicrous and will eventually be overturned....I just hope that too many lives are not destroyed before that happens.

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Conditions: Reactive Arthritis (AKA Reiter Syndrome), Severe Spinal Degeneration (Ankylosing Spondylitis, Pars Defect, Neural Foraminal Stenosis, 6mm gap@L5-S1, disc issues, etc), Chronic Pelvic Inflammatory Syndrome, Sacroiliitis, Costochondritis, Epididymitis, Prostatitis, Multiple Organ Issues, Unknown MS-Like Neuropathy, digestive issues, and a partridge in a pear tree.

More than likely your info will go unnoticed because you posted on an older thread. It will get better viewing coverage if you will start a new thread with this info.

Thanks.......Susie

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