A recent C-TAC roundtable spotlighted the use of psilocybin (aka ‘magic mushrooms’) to treat depression in patients living with serious illnesses. The event featured a panel of experts working in the field of psilocybin therapy and was moderated by Dr. Patrick Courneya, MD, Chief Health Plan Medical Officer at HealthPartners. As we advocate to transform Medicare and Medicaid to improve the quality of life for millions, the push to create accessible and equitable payment models for psilocybin therapy in care for serious illnesses aligns with our strategic plan.
People living with a serious illness face a host of internal and external challenges pertaining to their individual circumstances. During the recent webinar, “Psilocybin Therapy and the Future of Care for Those with Serious Illness,” participants explored the case for using psychedelics in mental health care, including treatment for depression in cancer patients.
https://youtu.be/9fMAe97Ar0Q?t=3
Dr. Steve Levine is the Vice President of Patient Access at COMPASS Pathways, a mental health care company dedicated to accelerating patient access to evidence-based innovation in mental health, and he participated in the panel. Dr. Levine shared insights on the biological and clinical processes of psilocybin therapy and cited various clinical trials underway to achieve FDA approval for the treatment. Dr. Levine anticipates these trials will result in 2025 or 2026 approval and launch for widely available psilocybin treatment programs, which would likely fall under Medicare Part B. As a treatment that requires both a pharmaceutical product and the presence of a clinician, Dr. Levine thinks that psilocybin therapy is, “a…humanistic model that recognizes and rejoins [the] bifurcated system of medication and therapy to acknowledge that the combination of the two is really important.”
Joining Dr. Levine on the panel was Dr. Manish Agrawal, MD, the Cancer Center Director at Aquilino Cancer Center and CEO at Sunstone Therapies. Dr. Agrawal shared details about the Cancer Center’s approach to using psychedelic therapy for cancer patients struggling with depression and images of the facilities where treatment takes place. The earth-toned, serene offices shown during Dr. Agrawal’s presentation were purposefully built to encourage mindfulness and comfort as patients embark on healing journeys with the help of psychedelic therapy. Data pertaining to clinical outcomes for depression exhibit the success of these treatment centers, but during the event, Dr. Agrawal says that it’s the patient stories that touch him the most. He goes on to share the story of a cancer patient whose healing journey brought them to find peace with their death through images of nature.
As research and general attention on psilocybin therapy grows, leaders in the field recognize that the path toward accessible treatment will require navigating tightly woven administrative policy and even the creation of new legislation. Panelist Gary Bacher, Chief Officer for Strategy, Policy, and Legal Affairs at Capital Caring Health detailed some of the policy hurdles psilocybin may have ahead as leaders push to make it widely available, yet medically regulated in the United States. Bacher cites the Opioid Treatment Program, a program that required legislation for effective implementation, as an example of possible paths ahead for this innovative therapy. This is largely due to hurdles in financing psilocybin treatment, though Bacher explains how FDA approval may ease the payment model creation process by allowing for a rescheduling of the drug to a class that enables more research on its effectiveness.
To learn more about how C-TAC is working to transform care models, check out our Core Principles for Care Models here.
Written by Andrew Lozano – C-TAC Communications Specialist
