A new California bill would offer financial rewards to meth users who stay sober.
SB-888 was introduced this week by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, in response to the increase in meth usage and overdose deaths across the state, according to KTLA sister station KRON in San Francisco.
He noted there’s currently no medical treatment for meth addiction.
“SB 888 legalizes Medi-Cal coverage for ‘contingency management’ – $ incentives to stay in meth recovery,” Weiner tweeted on Wednesday. “It’s a proven method to help people get & stay sober.”
The bill would expand treatment options that qualify for Medi-Cal to include programs that use vouchers or cash to motivate meth users to stay sober.
Those who enroll in their positive reinforcement opportunity project get counseling and cash credits in the form of gift cards every time their urine tests come back negative for stimulants.
Wiener said in a statement that the bill “intends to make these programs accessible on a wider scale by authorizing them to be reimbursable by Medi-Cal.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the number of drug overdose deaths involving meth more than tripled between 2011 and 2016, increasing from 1,887 to 6,762.
