Recovery community organizations and other peer support organizations help individuals and their families through recovery as they navigate to successful recovery and healthy lifestyles. 

Peer recovery support services are one of the essential ways that recovery community organizations offer assistance. These services provide a continuum of support to those before and when entering treatment, those actively in treatment, and those sustaining recovery post-treatment.

Unfortunately, most peer support organizations are not currently able to access Medicaid funding to expand and pay for these services and individuals with substance use disorder only qualify for peer recovery services through Medicaid if they also have a co-occurring mental illness.

This situation results in a lack of equitable access to support services for people with substance use disorder and a lack of funding and oversight on behalf of the Commonwealth. To engage more Pennsylvanians in need of these lifesaving supports and ensure ethical and effective service delivery, it is paramount that all peer support organizations are overseen and have access to Medicaid reimbursable service delivery throughout the Commonwealth.

To address this coverage gap, we are introducing legislation to make available Medicaid coverage and certification for those organizations providing peer recovery support services who also wish to bill for these important services. It is crucial to ensure that individuals with substance use disorder have greater access to services that can aid in their recovery, avoid overdose, and best position themselves and their families for long-term success. Promoting successful long-term recovery in Pennsylvania means safer and healthier communities.

Promoting successful long-term recovery in Pennsylvania means safer and healthier communities. Please join us in co-sponsoring this critical legislation.