California, like many states across the U.S., has been grappling with a devastating opioid crisis. With overdose deaths on the rise and opioid use disorder (OUD) affecting thousands of individuals every year, the need for accessible, effective treatment options has never been more urgent. In a move aimed at increasing access to critical addiction treatment, Pinnacle Treatment Centers, one of California’s largest opioid treatment providers (OTP), has announced that it will begin offering methadone treatment for OUD patients via telehealth. This significant step forward follows recent changes in federal and state regulations and promises to improve accessibility to life-saving treatment for many Californians struggling with opioid addiction.
Telehealth and Methadone: The Future of Opioid Addiction Treatment
One of the most innovative aspects of Pinnacle’s announcement is the use of audio-visual telehealth opioid treatment sessions to initiate methadone treatment. This approach will allow patients to begin their recovery journey without the need to physically visit a clinic, eliminating common barriers such as transportation challenges, work schedules, or living in rural or underserved areas far from treatment centers.
As Holly Broce, the president of Pinnacle Treatment Centers’ OTP division, explained in the company’s announcement, “Expanding access to methadone by allowing patients to initiate treatment via telehealth is a critical step forward in reducing harm caused by the opioid crisis in California.” This statement highlights the importance of reducing barriers to care and the potential for telehealth opioid treatment to revolutionize the way opioid addiction is treated. By facilitating remote access to treatment, Pinnacle is ensuring that more individuals who need help will receive it, even if they face logistical challenges that have traditionally kept them from accessing care.
For many individuals struggling with opioid use disorder, the need for quick access to treatment is urgent. Delays in treatment can result in worsening addiction, overdose, or even death. By using telehealth opioid treatment to initiate methadone treatment, Pinnacle is helping to ensure that patients can begin their recovery as soon as they seek help—often within the same day. This immediacy is key to addressing the opioid epidemic head-on, offering a swift response to those ready to take the first step toward recovery.
A Historic Change in Federal and State Regulations
This bold move by Pinnacle Treatment Centers comes in response to a historic update to federal regulations. In April, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) made significant revisions to its rules, which had been initially adjusted in April 2020. One of the key changes involved allowing opioid treatment providers (OTPs) to prescribe take-home buprenorphine—another medication used to treat opioid use disorder—without requiring an in-person visit. Now, with SAMHSA’s updated regulations, OTPs are also permitted to initiate methadone treatment via telehealth opioid treatment.
This rule change marks a major shift in how methadone, a long-established medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder, can be administered. While methadone has long been a standard of care for OUD, its administration was traditionally restricted to in-person visits, often at specialized clinics. The shift to telehealth opioid treatment opens up a new avenue for providing this critical medication, making it more accessible and adaptable to the needs of patients.
The expanded availability of telehealth opioid treatment is a direct response to the growing opioid crisis and is expected to have a transformative effect on the accessibility of addiction treatment. No longer do patients need to jump through the hoops of traveling long distances, navigating rigid appointment schedules, or facing the stigma often associated with in-person treatment centers. Instead, patients will have the flexibility to begin methadone treatment remotely, with the same effectiveness and oversight they would receive in an in-person visit.
Pinnacle’s Expansion Efforts and New Services
Pinnacle Treatment Centers, which operates under the Aegis brand in California, is no stranger to innovation in opioid addiction treatment. Since its expansion into California in 2020 through its acquisition of Aegis Treatment Centers, Pinnacle has worked tirelessly to broaden access to its services. Currently, Pinnacle operates 46 treatment locations across California, providing a range of addiction treatment services to thousands of patients.
With the introduction of telehealth opioid treatment and telehealth-based methadone prescribing, Pinnacle is taking its commitment to increasing access even further. The provider has also announced that it will offer walk-in services seven days a week in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, eliminating the need for appointments and making treatment available on-demand. This expanded access will make it easier for individuals to seek care when they need it most, particularly in underserved areas where addiction treatment services may be scarce.
These changes are part of a larger effort by Pinnacle to reduce the barriers that prevent people from accessing treatment for opioid addiction. By offering a mix of telehealth opioid treatment services, walk-in care, and same-day admissions, Pinnacle is ensuring that opioid use disorder patients in California have more avenues than ever to receive the care they need to begin their recovery journey.
Aligning with Federal Guidelines and California’s Regulatory Process
While Pinnacle Treatment Centers is poised to offer telehealth opioid treatment in California, the state is still in the process of adjusting its own methadone prescribing regulations to align with the new federal guidelines. California’s Department of Health Care Services has made a temporary exception that allows Pinnacle to begin operating under the updated federal rules while the state works through the regulatory adjustments. This flexibility demonstrates the state’s commitment to addressing the opioid crisis by embracing federal initiatives that expand access to care.
Once California completes its regulatory process, it is expected that the state will fully align its methadone prescribing rules with federal standards. This will likely make telehealth opioid treatment a permanent option for patients across the state, further enhancing access to this critical form of treatment.
Pinnacle’s Growing Presence and Commitment to Medicaid
Pinnacle’s expansion into California is part of a broader strategy to increase its national footprint. With treatment centers now operating in multiple states—including Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—Pinnacle is making strides in bringing addiction treatment to communities across the United States.
A significant portion of Pinnacle’s revenue comes from Medicaid, with over 90% of its income generated through state Medicaid programs, as reported by Behavioral Health Business in 2022. This highlights the essential role that Medicaid plays in supporting addiction treatment services and underscores Pinnacle’s focus on serving populations that may have limited access to care through other means.
By expanding its services and making treatments like methadone more accessible through telehealth opioid treatment, Pinnacle is not only helping to address the opioid crisis but also supporting the broader public health infrastructure that depends on Medicaid to reach vulnerable populations.
The Road Ahead: Improving Access and Outcomes
As Pinnacle Treatment Centers continues to expand its telehealth opioid treatment offerings and other services, the hope is that the changes will have a lasting and positive impact on California’s opioid epidemic. By allowing patients to begin methadone treatment remotely and without appointment, Pinnacle is lowering the barriers to care that often prevent people from seeking help. With more flexible treatment options, the potential for improved recovery outcomes increases, and more lives can be saved.
The expansion of telehealth opioid treatment in addiction recovery offers a promising future for opioid use disorder recovery. By embracing new technologies and adapting to evolving regulations, Pinnacle Treatment Centers is leading the charge in improving access to essential care, ensuring that more individuals across California and beyond have the opportunity to overcome addiction and build a healthier future.
As other providers follow Pinnacle’s lead and more states adapt to the new federal guidelines, we can hope that the future of opioid addiction treatment will be more accessible, compassionate, and effective—helping to reduce the harm caused by the opioid epidemic and supporting thousands of individuals in their journey to recovery.
