MedicaidAdministrativeMedium impact
Removal of the DATA Waiver (X-Waiver) Requirement for Practitioners Prescribing Buprenorphine
Illinois Medicaid - HFS·IL · Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry +2 more·Provider Notice
Effective date
Feb 23, 2023
We identified it
Jun 20, 2026
Summary
The federal X-Waiver requirement for practitioners to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder treatment has been eliminated. All practitioners with DEA Schedule III authority can now prescribe buprenorphine without special waivers or patient limits.
Action Required
Immediately: Notify providers that X-Waiver is no longer required for buprenorphine prescribing. Update internal documentation and provider education materials to reflect removal of patient limits. Ensure billing staff understand that buprenorphine prescriptions from providers without X-Waivers are now valid for processing.