SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Magellan Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: MGLN) today announced that Mostafa Kamal, chief executive officer of Magellan Rx Management, has been named to the Substance Use Disorder Treatment Task Force, founded by Shatterproof. The mission of the task force is to “fundamentally improve substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in the United States, in terms of both quality and patient outcomes.”
“I am honored to serve as a member of this task force and to be joining other colleagues and experts from across the industry to address the lack of quality treatment for the estimated 21 million Americans with substance use disorders,” said Kamal. “The work of this task force aligns well with Magellan’s solution as we help individuals contending with SUD from both the behavioral health and the pharmacy perspective.”
The Task Force was launched in April 2017 by Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of Shatterproof, and Dr. Thomas McLellan, founder and chairman of the Treatment Research Institute and former Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President Barack Obama.
As part of the Substance Use Disorder Treatment Task Force, earlier this week 16 payers, including Magellan Health, announced a groundbreaking commitment to adopt eight “National Principles of Care” for the treatment of addiction that will improve outcomes and save lives. The organizations agreed to identify, promote and reward substance use disorder (SUD) treatment that aligns with the National Principles of Care.
The Principles were derived from the Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health and are backed by three decades of research. Aligning care with these evidence-based Principles will significantly improve the quality of treatment for the millions Americans with substance use disorders.
“For the first time in history, leading healthcare insurers and other third-party payers from across our nation have come together and agreed to identify, promote, and reward one core set of evidence-based principles for addiction treatment,” said Mendell. “Payers, like Magellan, will now begin to establish an accountability process that will systemically change and significantly improve the way that treatment for addiction is delivered in our country.”
About Magellan Health: Magellan Health, Inc. is a leader in managing the fastest growing, most complex areas of health, including special populations, complete pharmacy benefits and other specialty areas of healthcare. Magellan supports innovative ways of accessing better health through technology, while remaining focused on the critical personal relationships that are necessary to achieve a healthy, vibrant life. Magellan's customers include health plans and other managed care organizations, employers, labor unions, various military and governmental agencies and third-party administrators. For more information, visit MagellanHealth.com.
