Field urges Medicare to pay for residential treatment

Medicare's coverage for substance use disorder (SUD) care is “outdated,” and legislation is needed to fix it so that Americans aged 65 and older can be covered for residential treatment, the Legal Action Center urged in a statement last week, which included a long list of endorsing field organizations. The coverage gap is significant — residential treatment takes place in a safe and stable living environment, but it is not a hospital. Medicare also covers Americans with a disability.