Funded by Michigan’s $1.6 billion opioid settlement, the Recovery Incentives is a two-year pilot program.
Providers hope it will improve outcomes and support people making behavior changes that drive recovery by offering incentives such as gift cards in increasing amounts for reaching goals.
“Those goals can be engaging in treatment, having non-use of substances during their treatment regimen, performing and meeting their goals they’ve established with their therapist.
Angie Smith-Butterwick is with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services which approved eight pre-paid inpatient health plans to participate in the program.
Medicaid beneficiaries with a diagnosis of stimulant or opioid use disorder are eligible.
“They will probably be picked by the clinicians and therapists who’ll say, ‘Hey, you seem to be struggling a little bit with just the basic services we already offer. We think you could be successful with recovery incentives.”
Smith-Butterwick says such cognitive behavioral therapy has shown success for any number of interventions.
“The research is showing: up to six months post-intervention, people are still on-track and doing great in their recovery, and so we’re hoping to see the same results through our pilot and be able to continue after the two years.”
The program begins October first.
