Opioid addiction remains a major U.S. public health crisis despite overdose deaths falling back toward 2019 levels, and Ophelia leaders Zach Gray and Dr. Arthur Robin Williams discuss expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) via a virtual-first model.

Gray describes founding Ophelia after losing someone to overdose and argues MAT resembles long-term medication plus counseling but has been constrained by burdensome rehab-style requirements and limited prescribing capacity. Williams outlines his harm-reduction and research background and explains how new synthetic drugs, online access, and shipping have accelerated risk.

They argue adoption lags due to fragmented care and Medicaid contracting, highlight Pennsylvania’s Center of Excellence as a workable reimbursement model, warn of SAMHSA and Medicaid funding pressures, and note how fee-for-service reimbursement limits innovation and AI adoption.

For more from Health Tech Nerds, subscribe to our weekly newsletters: https://www.healthtechnerds.com/subscribe

Stedi founder Zach Kanter joins fresh off a $50M raise to explain the role of clearinghouses in healthcare, why the Change Healthcare cyberattack forced the industry to pay attention, and why legacy incumbents are incompatible with where healthcare is going.

For more from Health Tech Nerds, subscribe to our weekly newsletters: https://www.healthtechnerds.com/subscribe

Cityblock's CEO Toyin Ajayi joins to make the case that AI should be deployed in Medicaid first, not last. With 60% of healthcare AI investment going toward revenue cycle and risk adjustment, she argues we're using the technology to deepen an inflationary spiral instead of solving the hardest problems. She breaks down how value-based care creates the right incentives to change that.

For more from Health Tech Nerds, subscribe to our weekly newsletters: https://www.healthtechnerds.com/subscribe