New Jersey A 5500: Establishes "Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot Program;" appropriates $225,000.

Bill Text

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 6/30/2023)
ASSEMBLY, No. 5500

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED MAY 25, 2023

Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS
Establishes “Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot Program;” appropriates
$225,000.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.

A5500 MOEN, WIMBERLY
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AN ACT concerning opioid treatment programs, supplementing Title 1
26 of the Revised Statutes and making an appropriation. 2
3
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 4
of New Jersey: 5
6
1. As used in this act: 7
“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Human Services. 8
“Department” means the Department of Human Services. 9
“Division” means the Division of Mental Health and Addiction 10
Services in the Department of Human Services. 11
“Opioid treatment program” means a program certified as an 12
opioid treatment program by the federal Substance Abuse and 13
Mental Health Services Administration and licensed to operate as 14
an opioid treatment program in this State by the Department of 15
Human Services. 16
“Pilot program” means the Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot 17
Program established by this act. 18
“Remote methadone dosing” means the use of telehealth and 19
telemedicine to remotely monitor a patient’s methadone-based 20
treatment, which treatment is administered in the form of take-home 21
doses of methadone. 22
23
2. a. The Department of Human Services shall establish a three-24
year Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot Program. The goal of the 25
program will be: to increase the compliance of, and reduce the costs 26
of providing, medication assisted treatment provided by 27
participating opioid treatment programs through the use of remote 28
methadone dosing; to evaluate the effect remote methadone dosing 29
has on patient outcomes and cost-savings in the treatment of opioid 30
use disorder; and to develop any recommendations for legislative or 31
regulatory action concerning whether remote methadone dosing 32
should be implemented in opioid treatment programs in this State. 33
b. The division shall select one opioid treatment program each 34
in the cities of Atlantic City, Camden, and Paterson to participate in 35
the pilot program. 36
c. In accordance with applicable federal and State laws and 37
when clinically appropriate, each opioid treatment program 38
participating in the pilot program shall be authorized to utilize 39
remote methadone dosing to treat a patient who is receiving 40
methadone-based treatment and is eligible to receive take-home 41
doses of methadone. In treating patients using remote methadone 42
dosing, participating opioid treatment programs shall utilize a 43
provider of an online-enabled technology application, service, 44
website, or system that facilitates remote methadone dosing 45
approved by the department. 46
d. Under no circumstances shall the State or an opioid treatment 47
program require that a patient participate in the pilot program. 48

A5500 MOEN, WIMBERLY
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e. Each opioid treatment program participating in the pilot 1
program shall annually report to the department, in a manner 2
prescribed by the commissioner, information on patient outcomes 3
and cost-savings as a result of the pilot program, including 4
information on: 5
(a) the number of patients treated using remote methadone 6
dosing; 7
(b) treatment compliance; 8
(c) the average time each patient spends being treated using 9
remote methadone dosing; 10
(d) patient retention; 11
(e) any realized reduction in medical transportation costs; and 12
(f) any other information the department deems relevant in 13
evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program. 14
15
3. The Department of Human Services shall, no later than four 16
years after the date the program is established, prepare and submit 17
to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 18
(C.52:14-19.1) to the Legislature, a report that shall include: 19
a. an analysis on the impact of the pilot program on patient 20
outcomes and cost-savings using the information collected pursuant 21
to subsection e. of section 2 of this act; 22
b. any recommendations for legislative or regulatory action 23
concerning the potential expansion of remote methadone dosing in 24
opioid treatment programs in this State; and 25
c. any other information the department deems relevant in 26
evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program. 27
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4. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the 29
Department of Human Services the sum of $225,000 to implement 30
the provisions of this act. The department shall issue a grant in the 31
amount of $75,000 to each opioid treatment program selected to 32
participate in the Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot Program to 33
effectuate the provisions of this act. 34
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5. The Commissioner of Human Services and the Commissioner 36
of Heal