Sen. Lombardo and Rep. Amore bill to require insurance coverage for non-opioid pain treatments signed into law

State House – Sen. Frank Lombardo III (D-Dist. 25, Johnston) and Rep. Gregg Amore’s (D-Dist. 65, East Providence) bill that requires insurance reimbursement for chiropractic and osteopathic non-opioid treatments for pain has been signed into law by the governor.
“With the opioid crisis worsening every day, it is imperative that insurance companies cover alternate and effective treatments for chronic pain, especially in the case of patients with substance use problems,” said Senator Lombardo.
“It is no secret that opioids have been over prescribed in our state and that has led to a health epidemic. For many patients, particularly those with substance abuse problems, opioids are the wrong choice to manage pain. This bill will ensure that other proven treatments for pain are covered by insurance, hopefully lessening the impact of opioid abuse in our state,” said Representative Amore.
The legislation (2017-S 0789Aaa / 2017-H 6124Aaa) states that patients with substance use disorders shall have access to evidence-based non-opioid treatment for pain. In turn, insurance coverage will be required for medically necessary chiropractic care and osteopathic manipulative treatment performed by licensed individuals.
The law goes into effect on April 1, 2018.