FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HANOVER, NH (April 14, 2021) – Better Life Partners, a leading provider of medical and behavioral health care for underserved communities across New Hampshire and Vermont, was selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center, also known as “CMMI,” to participate in a new initiative, Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment).

Value in Treatment, a four-year demonstration program, is designed to increase access to treatment services for opioid use disorder, improve physical and mental health outcomes, and reduce Medicare program expenditures.

“We’re honored to be selected by CMMI to participate in this demonstration,” said Better Life Partners Co-Founder and COO Steven Kelly. “This pilot represents an important step toward value-based care and better outcomes for substance use disorder treatment here in New England and across the country.”

Better Life Partners was founded in 2018 with a mission to help any underserved individual achieve a healthier life filled with belonging, love, and purpose. The organization delivers same-day treatment for members with opioid use disorder, with evidence-based medication, supportive counseling, and care navigation, all in partnership with local community organizations and treatment providers.

The United States is in the midst of a national opioid crisis that has only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to CMS, more than 47,000 Americans died from drug overdoses related to prescription and illegal opioids in 2017 – an almost two-fold increase compared to opioid-related deaths a decade earlier. The financial costs of the opioid epidemic are borne disproportionately by public insurance: in 2015, public insurance covered a total of 72.1% of opioid-related inpatient stays (31.9% Medicare, 40.2% Medicaid) and 60.6% of opioid-related ED visits (16.1% Medicare, 44.5% Medicaid).

The new Value in Treatment Demonstration Program was authorized under section 1866F of the Social Security Act, which was added by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). As part of the demonstration, providers will deliver additional services to beneficiaries and measure performance on criteria such as evidence-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT), patient engagement, and retention in treatment.

For more information about Better Life Partners, please visit betterlifepartners.com or call (866) 679-0831.