Library

| Blog Post

How telehealth can help your hospital improve addiction care


With over 130 overdose deaths each day and more than 2.1 million individuals with an opioid use disorder (OUD), the statistics of the opioid epidemic are staggering.

Your next virtual visit targets: Rural consumers

Such a complex issue demands a comprehensive response. Health systems and government programs have found promising success with long-term medication-assisted treatment (MAT) administered via a hub-and-spoke model of care delivery.

However, a key barrier to effective treatment and recovery for OUD is still access to providers who hold waivers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that allow them to administer MAT. This access issue is particularly acute for individuals in remote or rural service areas.

How telehealth can help boost access to OUD treatment

Telehealth is one way to improve access and bridge these gaps in the hub-and-spoke care model. And, with a proposed rule from CMS that adds three new codes to the 2020 Physician Fee Schedule to cover MAT for OUD as a telehealth service, this approach may soon become part of the new gold standard for addiction treatment and a valuable tool for health care organizations in responding to the epidemic.

But beyond its promising impact on population health, telehealth for MAT and OUD also has potential to positively impact your cost-savings strategy. A recent analysis by Premier found that total care for patients who experienced an opioid overdose resulted in $1.94 billion in annual hospital costs across 647 healthcare facilities nationwide. Extrapolating this hospital cost data revealed that opioid overdose patients would add more than $11.3 billion to the health care system each year, totaling 1% of all hospital expenditures.

For health systems, telehealth may reduce financial strain tied to the costs of repeated overdose care. By expanding patient access to MAT providers, telehealth has the potential to improve continuity in addiction treatment and recovery, thereby reducing the number of future relapses and overdose-related hospital admissions.

The proposed rule is in its public comment period through September 27, 2019, and set to go into effect as a final rule by January 1, 2020. In the meantime, help make the case within your organization for investing in a broader telehealth strategy for substance abuse and addiction treatment to improve patient outcomes and reduce the financial burden of this public health crisis. 


SPONSORED BY

INTENDED AUDIENCE

AFTER YOU READ THIS

AUTHORS

TOPICS

Don't miss out on the latest Advisory Board insights

Create your free account to access 2 resources each month, including the latest research and webinars.

Want access without creating an account?

   

You have 2 free members-only resources remaining this month remaining this month.

1 free members-only resources remaining this month

1 free members-only resources remaining this month

You've reached your limit of free monthly insights

Become a member to access all of Advisory Board's resources, events, and experts

Never miss out on the latest innovative health care content tailored to you.

Benefits include:

Unlimited access to research and resources
Member-only access to events and trainings
Expert-led consultation and facilitation
The latest content delivered to your inbox

You've reached your limit of free monthly insights

Become a member to access all of Advisory Board's resources, events, and experts

Never miss out on the latest innovative health care content tailored to you.

Benefits include:

Unlimited access to research and resources
Member-only access to events and trainings
Expert-led consultation and facilitation
The latest content delivered to your inbox
AB
Thanks you! Your updates are made successfully.
Oh no! There was a problem with your request.
Error in form submission. Please try again.