Election years often bring uncertainty and turbulence for many sectors, especially in behavioral health. Shifts in political power can change policy priorities, disrupt momentum for legislation, and cause providers to brace for changes that may affect funding and regulation. However, the 2024 substance use disorder treatment outlook shows that the field is uniquely positioned to not only avoid much of this political volatility but to actually gain stronger federal and state support. This promising outlook is due in large part to the broad, bipartisan consensus that has developed around addressing the nation’s ongoing opioid epidemic and related addiction crises.
Bipartisan Consensus: A Rare Alignment on a Critical Issue
Unlike many other policy areas that become battlegrounds during election years, substance use disorder treatment is an issue where political divides seem to fade away. Peter Barbuto, vice president of business development at Recovery Centers of America (RCA), underscored this during a recent Behavioral Health Business webinar.
“This is certainly one issue that regardless of where you sit from a belief system politically, there’s a lot of alignment,” Barbuto said.
RCA, which provides comprehensive treatment for SUD and co-occurring mental health disorders, operates 10 inpatient treatment facilities across the country, including a recently opened center in Greenville, South Carolina. The company benefits from a political environment where addressing the opioid epidemic remains a priority for leaders from both sides of the aisle.
Leadership from Both Parties
Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump — currently the frontrunner in the Republican primaries — have taken substantial steps to combat the opioid epidemic.
- Under Trump’s administration, the opioid crisis was officially declared a public health emergency in 2017, which helped mobilize resources and attention. One of Trump’s few bipartisan legislative successes was a comprehensive package aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic, including enhanced funding for treatment and prevention.
- President Biden’s administration has continued and expanded this focus, launching initiatives such as Opioid Awareness Week, proposing a historic $46.1 billion budget for National Drug Control Program agencies, distributing over $1.6 billion to communities hit hardest by addiction and overdose, and dedicating $450 million toward prevention and treatment efforts.
With a likely rematch in 2024 between Biden and Trump, the national focus on SUD treatment is expected to continue, if not intensify — an important part of the 2024 substance use disorder treatment outlook.
Why Bipartisanship Around SUD Treatment Works
Robert Blendon, professor emeritus at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, highlighted the unique bipartisan possibilities in the fight against opioid addiction during a Bipartisan Policy Center forum.
“What makes the bipartisan possibilities unbelievable is [that the opioid crisis disproportionately impacts] rural America and central cities,” Blendon said. “You have Democrats in cities and senators from rural states who absolutely agree we have to do something.”
This widespread impact — crossing geographic, economic, and political lines — creates a powerful incentive for bipartisan cooperation, a rarity in today’s polarized political environment. This cooperation is a key factor shaping the 2024 substance use disorder treatment outlook.
Key Policy Progress in 2023 Sets the Foundation for 2024
The momentum behind SUD treatment and opioid legislation has been building steadily over the past year, laying important groundwork for continued advances in 2024.
Major Legislative and Regulatory Developments
- X-Waiver Rescinded: One of the most significant changes in 2023 was the rescinding of the X-waiver in January. This waiver had previously limited which providers could prescribe buprenorphine — a life-saving medication used in opioid use disorder treatment. Removing this barrier expanded access to effective treatment for many patients.
- Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act: Introduced by a bipartisan group of legislators in March 2023, this legislation aims to relax strict regulations around methadone dispensing, making it easier for patients to receive this crucial treatment.
- National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification: In June, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Office of Recovery, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled new national standards for peer support certification. Peer support workers play a vital role in overdose prevention, crisis intervention, and fostering recovery and resilience — and these standards will help expand and professionalize this workforce.
State-Level Support and Collaboration
SUD treatment providers can expect not only federal support but also strong engagement from state agencies. Joe Bond, founder and CEO of Cedar Recovery, which operates nine treatment centers across Tennessee, noted during the Behavioral Health Business webinar that there is significant bipartisan effort at the state level as well.
“There’s a lot of work across the aisle when it comes to behavioral health and substance use. I don’t see that subsiding in any way, shape or form, [regardless of] whoever sits in the Oval Office this time next year,” Bond said.
Cedar Recovery provides individualized treatment plans that combine medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with behavioral therapy — a model increasingly recognized as the gold standard for effective recovery. This ongoing momentum supports a positive 2024 substance use disorder treatment outlook.
Looking Ahead to 2024: Normalizing Treatment and Expanding Value-Based Care
While legislative progress and funding are crucial, the next frontier in combating the opioid epidemic involves tackling stigma and improving how treatment is delivered and reimbursed.
Fighting Stigma to Save Lives
Stigma remains one of the most significant barriers to people seeking and staying on effective SUD treatment. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), such as buprenorphine and methadone, are proven to save lives, but stigma — including the misconception that addiction is a moral failing — prevents many from accessing these treatments.
Bond expressed optimism that 2024 will bring greater awareness and acceptance of SUD as a chronic disease rather than a moral weakness.
“I think that we’re now beginning to realize that if we don’t treat this as a moral failure… the stronger and the better we can do as a country and as states to lead people to treatment,” Bond said. “I believe that we’re going to get people able to be running towards [treatment] rather than away from it because they’re not embarrassed or ashamed.”
This cultural shift is essential not only for expanding access but also for improving outcomes and reducing overdose deaths — a critical part of the 2024 substance use disorder treatment outlook.
The Promise of Value-Based Care
Another key trend gaining traction is the movement toward value-based care models in SUD treatment. These models focus on paying for quality and outcomes rather than just services rendered. Although value-based care remains relatively rare in the SUD field, it holds promise for improving patient outcomes while also providing sustainable reimbursement for providers.
Joe Bond noted that government payers have been quicker than commercial insurers to embrace alternative payment models.
“The commercial payers are a little slower to move to [alternative payment models] and theories behind that,” Bond said. “I’ll just say that the government payers have been more active in that.”
Peter Barbuto of RCA echoed this sentiment, emphasizing RCA’s ongoing efforts to negotiate innovative payment models with both commercial and government payers.
“The lion’s share of RCA’s reimbursement comes from commercial payers,” Barbuto said, “but the company does have ‘unique’ arrangements with government payers. RCA seeks alternative payment models with all payers. It’s important to know that these conversations exist and need to exist with all of your partners on the payer side.”
As 2024 unfolds, these conversations about payment innovation and care quality are likely to accelerate, benefiting providers, payers, and most importantly, patients — another positive signal in the 2024 substance use disorder treatment outlook.
Conclusion: A Year of Opportunity for SUD Treatment Providers
In the often unpredictable political environment of election years, substance use disorder treatment stands out as a hopeful exception — an area where bipartisan support is strong, progress continues unabated, and future innovations hold real promise. The combination of sustained federal and state funding, meaningful regulatory reforms, and cultural shifts toward destigmatizing addiction treatment position the SUD treatment industry for a year of growth and impact.
For providers, policymakers, and advocates, 2024 represents an opportunity to build on hard-won gains, extend access to life-saving treatments, and improve outcomes for individuals and communities affected by addiction. This overall positive view aligns with the 2024 substance use disorder treatment outlook shared by experts across the industry.
Watch the full 2024 SUD Outlook Webinar to hear these industry leaders discuss the outlook and strategies for the coming year.
