addiction treatment

Medicaid spending on medications used to treat opioid addiction has risen sharply in recent years.

Medicaid Expansion Has Delivered Access To Addiction Treatment, Report Finds

1:34pm July 07, 2017

by Sarah Fentem

The Urban Institute reports that Medicaid spending on drugs used to treat opioid addiction and overdoses has risen sharply, raising questions about the potential impact of Medicaid cuts.

Because treatment for opioid addiction can be expensive and difficult to coordinate, some people may try detoxing on their own. It rarely works.

Without Medical Support, DIY Detox Often Fails

1:47pm July 03, 2017

by Elana Gordon

Treatment for opioid addiction can be expensive and difficult to coordinate. That might make some people tempted to think they can overcome the addiction on their own. This rarely works.

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Medicaid pays the costs for about 62 percent of seniors who are living in nursing homes, some of the priciest health care available.

From Birth To Death, Medicaid Affects The Lives Of Millions

12:23pm June 27, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

Medicaid has become a prime target of Republicans in Congress who want to rein in the program's costs, which totaled $350 billion in 2015. We take a look at what all that money pays for.

Charlene Yurgaitis gets health insurance through Medicaid in Pennsylvania. It covers the counseling and medication she and her doctors say she needs to recover from her opioid addiction.

GOP's Proposed Cuts To Medicaid Threaten Treatment For Opioid Addiction

8:26am June 11, 2017

by Ben Allen

Expanding Medicaid has helped many people caught up in the opioid epidemic get treatment. But doctors say the proposed Republican changes to the Affordable Care Act could jeopardize these programs.

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Charmayne Healy (l) and Miranda Kirk (r), co-founders of the Aaniiih Nakoda Anti-Drug Movement, have helped Melinda Healy, center, with their peer-support programs.

Two Sisters Try To Tackle Drug Use At A Montana Indian Reservation

5:00am May 27, 2017

by Nora Saks

With a lack of treatment options at the Fort Belknap reservation, the pair has sparked a grassroots response to substance abuse by creating peer support groups — the only choice for many seeking help.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price contradicted his agency's online information about the efficacy of medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction.

Price's Remarks On Opioid Treatment Were Unscientific And Damaging, Experts Say

5:59pm May 16, 2017

by Jake Harper

Nearly 700 experts signed a letter to HHS Secretary Tom Price asking that he correct remarks in which he called medication-assisted treatment for addiction "substituting one opioid for another."

Hannah Berkowitz in her parents' home in West Hartford, Conn. Getting intensive in-home drug treatment is what ultimately helped her get back on track, she and her mom agree.

Home-Based Drug Treatment Program Costs Less And Works

5:42pm April 17, 2017

by Jack Rodolico

Treating addiction is expensive and patients often relapse. A new company is offering better results at a price that's lower in the long run — and clients get treatment right at home.

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A doctor at a Boston Medical Center clinic counsels a patient who has become addicted to opioid painkillers, and wants help kicking the habit. Addiction specialists say drugs like suboxone, which mitigates withdrawal symptoms, can greatly improve his odds

Another Big Health Insurer Loosens Rules For Covering Addiction Treatment

1:35pm February 15, 2017

by Shefali Luthra

Doctors treating people addicted to opioids often need approval from insurers before giving drugs that ease withdrawal. The delay can be risky for patients. Insurers are starting to come around.

After about a week in detox, the men spend 60 to 90 days in this room during their treatment at Recovery Point.

In West Virginia, Men In Recovery Look To Trump For A 'Helping Hand'

4:25pm February 08, 2017

by Sarah McCammon

Residents of a drug treatment center in Huntington, W.Va., hope President Trump follows through on promises to fight the addiction crisis. Many are worried about how they'll pay for their health care.