SAMHSA approves CM incentives of up to $750 a year per patient

Contingency management (CM) — paying patients in treatment for addiction for negative drug tests — is the best method for treating stimulant use disorders, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse and researchers. Because there is no other effective treatment for stimulant use disorders, CM is particularly important. However, the federal government has required that these payments be very low (no more than $75 a year) in order to avoid “kickbacks.” The idea that treatment providers would use the payments as incentives to get patients kept this effective protocol from being included in treatment or even in research. However, finally the federal government has upped the amount. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that its grant programs which authorize CM can now provide values of up to $750 a year per patient.