members with an opioid addiction who received any treatment was at 48 percent before ARTS and 62 percent after, a 29 percent change.
The ARTS program also displayed a decrease in emergency department visits related to opioids as there were 3,101 visits after it was enacted, compared to 4,484 before, a 31 percent decrease.
Finally, the number of prescriptions for opioid pain medications for medicaid members went down to 229,598, a 29 percent decrease from 420,883 before the program was instituted.
ARTS has fortified requirements for providers and boosted compensation fees for those who use research-steered drug treatment programs.
Virginia is going to receive even more money to fight the opioid epidemic. It was recently announced that the state will receive $10 million from the federal government.
Author: Robert B. Hayek
Robert B Hayek is a reporter for Addiction Now and covers features and local spotlight stories. He previously worked for Fox Sports as a production assistant as well as a writer and reporter for an online website called Real Talk Sports Network. He has lived in Southern California his entire life, is a lover of books and writing and also surfs. Contact Robert at roberth@addictionnow.com
