Anthem reduces prescribed opioid use among its members by 15%
South Portland-based Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine reported Wednesday that opioid prescriptions for its individual and employer-sponsored members dropped by 15% in the past year.
Anthem stated in its news release that the primary goal of the quantity limits was to prevent inadvertent addiction and opioid use disorder and to ensure clinically appropriate use consistent with Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
It added that these Maine initiatives contributed significantly to its parent company meeting a national goal to reduce opioids filled at the pharmacy by 30% compared to the opioid prescription peak in 2012.
“This misuse of opioids continues to be a serious issue here in Maine and we are committed to making a significant difference to our members,” said Dan Corcoran, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “We believe these changes in pharmacy policy, in addition to a broad set of strategies addressing the opioid epidemic, will help prevent, deter and more effectively treat opioid use disorder among our members.”
Last year Maine experienced 376 overdose deaths, the majority of them from opioids.
The pharmacy policy changes are part of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s holistic approach to prevention, deterrence and treatment to reduce the impact of this epidemic. To help ensure members have access to comprehensive evidence-based care, Anthem also is committed to helping its affiliated health plans double the number of members who receive behavioral health services as part of medication-assisted therapy, drug and talk therapy, for opioid use disorder by 2019.
Nationally about 5% of the 4.5 BILLION prescriptions filled annually are for opiates. Who believes that upwards of 30% of those prescriptions are NOT MEDICALLY NECESSARY… Apparently Anthem/Blue Cross has established a 30% goal of opiate reduced prescribing will save them a “ton of money” that they can add to their bottom line… Their responsibility to cover medically necessary therapy – as required by the beneficiary’s policy/contract – is of little importance and their ability to practice with out a license is being CONDONED or IGNORED by all the 50 states’ medical licensing board.
Filed under: General Problems
Gotta love how they brag about no longer covering their customers’ medication. How on earth they can stand to brag like this while that same area they cover is ate up with heroin/illicitly-produced fentanyl overdoses is beyond me.
I wonder if they have their little “opioid pledge” that their doctors can sign so their doctors can reduce those prescriptions as well, then get “incentives” for doing so – like Cigna has done …
Even better – Cigna likes to threaten the doctors who don’t sign and reduce those prescriptions with sending out little “report cards” to other doctors in the area showing how that dr “overprescribes” (extortion) … Doctors harming their own patients so that they may receive “incentives” for doing so (bribery).
Picking numbers out of the blue, just like the CDC. They know they won’t be punished–indeed, they’ll probably be given an award for helping curb the “epidemic”. I’m sure, out of their obvious concern for the welfare of their clients, they’ll start covering massage therapy, acupuncture, extra PT sessions, TENS units….
Funny how they still won’t approve generic lidocaine patches or generic Butrans patches or voltaren gel…..
This is outrageous when the bottom line is more important in medicine than a persons health! Not to mention the company is practicing medicine without a lience they don’t know the patient or their needs! What are they doing about those that need the medication? Are they adding rehab sevices to be covered? Message, acupuncture Ect as well? You can’t just cut people off opiates and do nothing! Some are very ill that could be very harmful to their health doing that. What about the herion epidemic? That’s claiming more lives than anything and they are adding that in with the opioid epidemic as an opioid statistics usage I can just about bet! But not telling people that! Just another way to get premiums, but not offer the contract benefits! People are ill and in need of pain meds to function and just cope as real pain works on the body and mind! Very sad!