The CDC first recommended new safety guidelines to primary care doctors to prescribe 90 mg of morphine equivalent potency of oral opiate pain medication or less for patient safety. Now these guidelines are being adopted as mandatory changes by several private insurance companies & Medicare & Medicaid in Arkansas. Unless a patient has active cancer or is in hospice care, it appears ALL patients will need to be below the 90mg morphine equivalent dosage maximum by Fall 2018 for Arkansas Medicaid & January 1, 2019 for Medicare recipients. 
We will keep you updated if more changes are implemented. The State of Arkansas Medical Board has passed a resolution that if implemented by the Legislative Council will require more regulations to prescribe above 50mg of morphine equivalent dosage to patients who have chronic pain!