Medicare Planning to Adopt CDC Opioid Guidelines

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced plans to fully implement the opioid prescribing guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommend that doctors not prescribe opioid medication for chronic non-cancer pain. This would impact those who have the Part D Rx plan.

Healthcare professionals agree that adequate pain management that improves quality of life and conserves the ability to carry out the activities of daily living is everyone’s right. Good pain management can also keep you healthier by allowing a person to stay active, eat well, and enjoy a normal social life. Persistent pain is known to be common among older persons residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities, yet it continues to go unrecognized and undertreated despite pain guidelines, such as those put forth by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and AMDA–Dedicated to Long-Term Care Medicine (previously known as the American Medical Directors Association [AMDA]), having been in existence for more than a decade.

Pain itself can create the need for help with activities of daily living (ADL’s). As people age, or have health issues due to illness or accidents, they require either hands-on assistance with ADL’s or stand-by assistance (where a person has to be at arm’s length to help just in case). A successful future retirement plan should include affordable Long-Term Care insurance which will pay for quality caregivers and facilities and add to quality of life. In addition, LTC insurance will ease the burden placed on family while safeguarding assets. Plan before you retire and add peace-of-mind to your overall plan.