Health

HEALTH • Spring 2018 23 Navigating addiction: How insurance can help families in crisis T he opioid epidemic is devastat- ing to families. For employers, navigating treatment and sup- portive services on behalf of their employees is complicated and filled with sensitivities. Traditionally, men- tal health and issues related to sub- stance use disorder were not dis- cussed in the workplace – often car- rying a stigma of unreliability and unemployability. But employers can play a critical role in early identifica- tion and intervention through employer-sponsored health benefits designed to treat substance use dis- order. Young adult dependents at risk Young adult dependents are a group at particular risk, leaving par- ents struggling in search of help. Giving them the information they need to support recovery with a seamless and integrated approach to care improves medical outcomes for their loved ones who are struggling. The opioid epidemic has torn fam- ilies apart and is an incredibly chal- lenging issue to address. Although navigating this disease can seem complicated and unmanageable at times, a trusted insurer is part of the solution that enables employers to seek out and identify the help and care they need for their staffs and their families. One example is working with your health plan to help provide access to locally-based treatment centers. Unlike the costly, out-of-state alter- natives, local treatment allows for recovery in a familiar environment, where learning to cope with triggers, rather than avoiding them, happens throughout recovery. Local treatment also provides an easier transition back to the community including the plan for a person's return to their professional and personal life. Treatment also requires an approach that integrates medical and behavioral health expertise. Insurers are uniquely positioned to act as a guiding resource and intermediary and many are appointing staff to act as a guide for patients and caregivers to assist in navigating the resources available. For example, in 2016 Tufts Health Plan created a new position to help members and families approach addiction treatment: the Substance Use Navigator. Complementing the work of our care management pro- gram, the Navigator helps members and their families understand treat- ment options, benefits and coverage, make decisions about next steps, find resources available to them and find solutions that fit their situation on a case-by-case basis. The Navigator's personalized attention allows mem- bers to capitalize on the spectrum of treatment options. Medication & training Another way businesses can help their employees and their families is to help ensure access to medication- assisted treatments. Tufts Health Plan, for example, created a unique program to encourage behavioral health and primary care providers to prescribe Suboxone as a medication assisted treatment by offering provid- ers reimbursement for the federally mandated training. The goal of this program is to increase access to a critical treatment. Education of providers is also key. Tufts Health Plan and Delta Dental of Massachusetts are collaborating to improve safe prescribing practices and to promote alternative treat- ments through messaging to all den- tists. This is critical because, as a 2011 study in the Journal of the American Dental Association indi- cated, dentists are responsible for 12 percent of prescriptions for fast-act- ing opioid pain relievers. The integrated approach across pri- mary care, behavioral health, inpa- tient and community providers, sup- ported by insurers, connects patients with services close to home and the team-based attention necessary for long-term control of substance use disorder. Dr. Claire Levesque is chief medical officer of commercial products for Watertown-based Tufts Health Plan, which has a corporate office in Worcester. BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION By Dr. Claire Levesque For information contact Mark Murray, Associate Publisher at 508.755.8004 x227 or mmurray@wbjournal.com The Region's Quarterly Health Care Magazine HEALTH C E N T R A L M A S S A C H U S E T T S You'll want to see and be seen in this quarterly publication! While the health care industry in our region is huge, there has never before been a single resource that delivers both industry news and analysis along with a consumer forum where industry experts can share their best advice and insights. Our regional HEALTH publication and E-newsletter is aimed not only at health care professionals, but at health-care consumers, both retail and business. If you're a player in the health care field looking to promote your service, or if your business is trying to reach medical professionals and practices with products or services - we can help you deliver your message to this highly targeted audience. DON'T MISS OUT! 2018 ISSUE DATES: JUNE 18 Closing Date: June 7 Workplace Fitness/Primary Care AUGUST 27 Closing Date: August 16 Health Care Education/Holistic Medicine NOVEMBER 5 Closing Date: October 26 Annual Health Care Resource Guide DECEMBER 3 Closing Date: November 21 Health Insurance/Mental Health H

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