Policy News 

Wisconsin Delegation Urges CMS to Include Surgical Collaborative in the Opioid Solution 

In May 2019, multiple members of the Wisconsin delegation sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator requesting that they consider broad stakeholder involvement in the agency’s implementation of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. CMS will implement the parts of the SUPPORT Act focused on reducing over-prescribing and over-utilization of legal opioids. The letter specifically asks CMS to consider the benefit of including statewide collaboratives in this work. 

“Surgical Collaboratives, including those in Wisconsin, bring together a wide range of stakeholders to share data, information, and best practices. They have years of experience targeting and educating outlier prescribers. CMS should take their experience, expertise, and potential reach into consideration when designing and implementing these critical provisions of the law.”