Lawmakers hear bill to let certified alcohol and drug counselors bill private insurers for outpatient SUD care

Representative Rob Nos introduced House Bill 2013, a measure intended to ensure certified alcohol and drug counselors (CADCs) working in state-certified outpatient substance-use-disorder (SUD) treatment programs can be reimbursed by private insurers when providing covered services.

Philip Broyles, operator of a state-certified outpatient treatment center, told the committee his program receives repeated calls from people seeking immediate access to treatment who are told insurers will not reimburse CADCs or that centers cannot get credentialed because their workforce primarily consists of CADCs. Broyles said the result is delayed or inaccessible care: when someone needs help immediately, insurer credentialing barriers can force them to wait or pay out of pocket.

Supporters framed the bill as a targeted change to allow existing state-recognized SUD treatment providers to be reimbursed by private plans for out-of-network care or when credentialing is a barrier. Witnesses said Medicaid and OHA already recognize CADCs in many contexts and the bill would align private insurer reimbursement policy to improve access. Opposing questions from the committee focused on details: how CADC reimbursement would differ from licensed mental-health providers, exact billing codes, and whether pay rates would be equal. Sponsor and provider witnesses said the bill would not force parity with licensed mental-health provider reimbursement rates but would allow reimbursement for CADC services provided at state-certified facilities.

Why it matters Immediate access to SUD treatment is critical in overdose prevention and recovery. Proponents said technical changes to insurer credentialing and reimbursement can reduce delays in care and better align private coverage with how Medicaid and state-certified programs operate; insurers may respond with implementation requirements or clarify coding and credentialing rules.