A new bill introduced to the U.S. Congress aims to improve coverage for digital therapeutics in Medicaid and state Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIPs).
The Medicaid and CHIP Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act would make it easier for clinicians to prescribe innovative new technologies. It represents a growing interest in the use of digital health tools and platforms to treat chronic conditions and other concerns, giving healthcare providers new options that don’t necessarily include drugs or in-patient treatments.
It would also allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide technical assistance to states considering coverage of FDA-approved or cleared prescription digital therapeutic products, and would define ‘prescription digital therapeutic’ within the context of Medicaid.
“Digital therapeutics hold particular value for Medicaid populations with convenient, accessible, and personalized treatment options to address many unmet medical needs,” Andy Molnar, chief executive officer of the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA), said in a press release announcing the DTA's support for the bill. “This legislation would establish more clarity and uniformity in how prescription digital therapeutics are covered by public programs from state to state and is a critical step toward ensuring that these evidence-based treatments get into the hands of those who need them most.”
If passed, the bill would define 'prescription digital therapeutic' for Medicaid coverage, create standardized coverage for digital therapeutics treatments approved or cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Medicaid and CHIP programs and give the Health and Human Services Secretary the ability to provide technical assistance to states considering such coverage.
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