A new FAIR Health data analysis sheds light on how treatment for opioid abuse and dependence varies across regions and states.
“MORE THAN 49,000 Americans died of an opioid overdose in 2017, according to provisional figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This statistic is a tragic sign of the continuing severity of the opioid crisis, and shows why opioid abuse and dependence treatment accounts for an increasingly substantial amount and share of U.S. health care expenditures.
A new analysis from our organization shows great variation across regions and states when it comes to the medical services provided to patients with such diagnoses. We examined 2017 data from our repository of more than 26 billion private insurance claim records, using a white paper and state-by-state infographics to reveal that where patients live affects both the prevalence of opioid abuse and dependence and the type of care they may receive.”
Source: USNews.com – August 16, 2018