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10.16.2023 CAQH Application: Illegal drug use question (CVO) Does the CAQH application question about lack of current illegal drug use meet the intent of NCQA’s requirement in CVO 12, Element A, factor 2 and CVO 13, Element A, factor 2?

Yes, the following CAQH question meets the intent of the requirement in  CVO 12, Element A, factor 2 and CVO 13, Element A, factor 2:

Are you currently engaged in the illegal use of drugs?* ("Currently" means sufficiently recent to justify a reasonable belief that the use of drugs may have an ongoing impact on one's ability to practice medicine. It is not limited to the day of, or within a matter of days or weeks before the date of application, rather that it has occurred recently enough to indicate the individual is actively engaged in such conduct. "Illegal use of drugs" refers to drugs whose possession or distribution is unlawful under the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. § 812.22. It "does not include the use of a drug taken under supervision by a licensed health care professional, or other uses authorized by the Controlled Substances Act or other provision of Federal law." The term does include, however, the unlawful use of prescription controlled substances.)"

CAQH provides additional information regarding what "currently" means that aligns with language in the explanation of CVO 12, Element A, factor 2 and CVO 13, Element A, factor 2 that the organization may use more general or extensive language to query practitioners about impairment.

ALL 2022