Insurers are failing to comply with parity laws for substance use disorders, the American Medical Association alleged.
The association published its annual "Overdose Epidemic Report" in November. Harm reduction measures, including naloxone and other overdose reversal medications, have saved thousands of lives, the association wrote.
The number of overdose deaths also dropped in 2024 for the first time in decades, according to early CDC data.
Despite these positive developments, several key challenges remain, according to the AMA. In its report, the AMA alleged insurers are failing to comply with parity laws and that policymakers have not held them "accountable for these failures."
Pharmacy benefit managers also continue to restrict access to medication-assisted opioid use disorder treatment, according to the AMA.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration published a final rule that toughened enforcement of mental health and substance use treatment parity requirements. The new regulations will bar health plans from using more restrictive prior authorization requirements for mental health than for other forms of care, among other changes.
In its report, the AMA called the new regulations a "step in the right direction."
Read the full report here.