The Addiction Recovery Medical Home As An Alternative Payment Model

While the current opioid epidemic has captured the attention of the country and its policy makers by becoming the leading cause of death in the United States for those younger than age 50, addiction to a broader range of substances has pervaded US culture for decades. Current health system resources remain inadequate to thwart the rising tide of addiction, as demonstrated by recently released federal data that estimate a persistent 88 percent substance use disorder (SUD) treatment gap for those in need. This gap reflects inadequate infrastructure—resources, clinical settings, and workforce—for supporting the more than 18 million Americans suffering from addiction without appropriate treatment for their potentially fatal health problem.