Thread by @speakingabtpain

👉👉👉VICTORY AT LAST IN OREGON ON FORCED TAPERING. Today, Oregon voted against a proposal to mandate tapering to 0 of Oregon Medicaid patients who currently take #opioids long term to manage #pain - an action that would, by Oregon’s estimation, have affected 60-100,000 people

oregon.gov/oha/ERD/Pages/…. The proposal garnered national attention & the concern of over a hundred experts in pain medicine, addiction, and health policy. In light of their efforts and the growing evidence about the dangers of mandatory tapering, Oregon today demurred. 2/

Two specific proposals were at issue. The first was passed in 2016 and mandated the tapering of anyone with a condition involving the back, neck or spine. Oregon added coverage of modalities like physical therapy - but the taper mandate was absolute. 3/

The second proposal began last summer, when Oregon considered expanding coverage for alternative treatment modalities for 5 chronic pain conditions, but included a mandate to discontinue opioids for anyone currently prescribed opioids for those conditions. 4/

Oregon also considered but rejected expanding coverage to include both opioids and a variety of alternative modalities for chronic pain conditions. We advocated, for this option, but it failed to pass. Still - we are pleased that forced tapering is no longer proposed. 5/

Getting here has required repeated letters and extraordinary efforts by many. Thanks to everyone who signed letters and, especially, to @DrSeanMackey @BethDarnall @aander1987 @StefanKertesz @BobTwillman & the amazing on-the ground advocates, @AmaraAdvocate & @Wendysinclairme 6/