Resource Center: Logistics of buprenorphine treatment

This is an article written by CIGNA Behavioral Health's (CBH) Senior Medical Director. It describes how CIGNA addressed reimbursement, a major barrier to physician prescription of buprenorphine, by identifying an HCPCS code (H0033) that physicians can use to bill for the services provided during buprenorphine induction visits.

Patient contract that can be used to set expectations and guidelines before beginning buprenorphine treatment.

This chapter of the TIP 45 discusses funding, resources, organization and patient contracts in substance abuse treatment.

Discusses protocols for office-based buprenorphine treatment, including the administering of the drug itself, devising a treatment plan, and choosing an appropriate frequency for visits.

This article provides guidance on the management and treatment of acute pain in patients receiving buprenorphine/naloxone.

This PDF offers information on how rural health programs can receive funding from Medicaid for certain services and treatments in order to increase patient access to health care.

Discusses the importance of setting guidelines for patients in an office-based buprenorphine program and gives examples of the types of procedures and protocol that should be set and agreed upon prior to beginning treatment.

Before starting office-based buprenorphine treatment, the following Patient Assessment Questions should be answered for each patient. Topics addressed in these questions include: Diagnosis, Medications, Drugs/Alcohol, Psychiatric and Medical Comorbidities, Psychosocial Issues, Treatment, Patient Management, and Resources.

The ASAM Patient Placement Criteria for the Treatment of Substance-Related Disorders, Second Edition-Revised (Mee-Lee et al. 2001) lists the 5 basic levels of care available for adult substance users. These levels of care range from Early Intervention (for at-risk individuals) to Medically Managed Intensive Inpatient Treatment (for patients with severe disorders who require around-the-clock care). The Patient Placement Criteria classifies opioid maintenance therapy as a Level I treatment since it is most often conducted in outpatient settings.

PDF of Commonly Used CPT Codes in Primary Care