The Opioid and drug Epidemic has been an issue for a long time now and is only getting worse. U.S. drug overdoses hit a record high in 2021, most of which are from opioids. Cultural and economic pressures in America have led many people into addiction with drugs, effecting their personal lives and the company that they work for negatively. Offering more in-depth benefits to employees would appear to help them avoid or recover from drug addictions but has not exactly done that. Government contribution to this issue has helped build awareness and facilities to help people recover from drug addiction, and benefit plans that cover rehabilitation centers are a key part of people being able to have access to these facilities. While having more benefits has led to people being able to recover from addiction more often and being more aware of the risks that medication has, occasionally it can be detrimental as well.
The American economy prescribes more drugs than almost any other country. Adderall, a now commonly prescribed drug that often is prescribed for ADHD has been approved to be prescribed in 55 different countries. Out of those 55 countries, the U.S. is responsible for 92% of the total prescriptions. To me, this shows a cultural problem in overprescribing and over-seeking drugs that could potentially be harmful. While it is easy for me to say there’s an issue, a solution is much harder to come by.
Increasing awareness about over prescription and drug addiction has led to many changes within the healthcare system to help this problem. Substance use disorders are now required to be covered as an essential health benefit thanks to the ACA, while before only 1 in 3 healthcare plans covered SUD’s. Prescription drug monitoring programs, or PDMPs, have been implemented on a state-by-state basis where physicians prescription habits are tracked and if over prescription is noticed there can be serious consequences involved. Another way that benefits plans have helped to deter drug addictions is wellness plans or programs. The details of these plans change each plan, but usually are annual check ups with a list of objectives for the policyholder. For example, getting their blood pressure and heart rate checked. Plans are incentivized to employees because a discount on their premium is usually offered if they conduct the steps required in the plan. It is beneficial to the employer because along with signs of drug abuse, other health issues can be detected and treated before it becomes a major issue. Wellness programs are becoming more popular and are beneficial to every party involved, from the employee to the insurer.
Post by Xavier Bodner. Benefits Broker Hilb Group
Blog Presented by:
G. Kevin Nemith CIC. CRM
Agency Leader for Hilb Group of Delaware, a division of Hilb Mid-Atlantic Group and Hilb Group
knemith@hilbgroup.com
Top 15 insurance brokers and risk managers in the USA.
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