Idaho’s Medicaid offers more leeway

Dr. Kent Vye and other doctors who prescribe Suboxone would like to see Washington state’s Medicaid program pay for one year of treatment instead of only six months, the current time limit for patients.

Idaho’s Medicaid program gives doctors greater leeway in how long they can keep prescribing Suboxone and get reimbursed through Medicaid. One prescription can be refilled for up to a year, if that’s the way the doctor writes it. After a year, the doctor could write a new prescription.

Idaho Medicaid limits patients to 16 mg a day of Suboxone.

Washington has no such limit on daily dosage, but requires Medicaid clients to be in a state-approved drug treatment program in conjunction with Suboxone therapy. Washington state also requires a clean urine test every two weeks for a patient to continue on Suboxone.

Idaho’s Medicaid program paid for 15 patients to take Suboxone during 2004.

Washington’s Medicaid program paid for 61 people to use Suboxone in the first six months of this year.