By Jacob Rueda
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report detailing drug overdose deaths in the United States over a twelve month period.
The results show that nationwide, 110,469 people died from overdoses in the last year alone. Some states saw an increase in deaths, including Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. Other states like Arkansas, Virginia and Indiana saw significant decreases in overdose deaths.
The report also found that opioids contributed to 70 percent of overdose deaths. That is taking into account synthetic opioids like fentanyl into the mix.
Substance abuse is a major health concern and with open enrollment coming up in November, insurers are working on helping those experiencing substance abuse issues find avenues to recovery as quickly as possible.
"If you are struggling with your mental health or substance abuse, your health insurance should have programs in place that will help you," said Divya Sangameshwar, an insurance specialist with Lending Tree.
In the past, people with substance abuse issues would be out of luck if they were insured and needed help getting clean. All of that changed in 2010 with the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare as it is colloquially referred to.
"Prior to the passing of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies could deny you coverage for what they call preexisting conditions," said Sangameshwar. With the ACA in place, those insurers who are compliant with ACA guidelines cannot deny coverage to anyone with preexisting conditions, including individuals experiencing substance abuse issues.
However, not everyone who experiences substance abuse issues has insurance. Sangameshwar said despite that, help is available for anyone who wants to get clean.
"I would recommend getting in touch with your local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charitable organizations that help people with mental health and substance abuse problems," she said.
A drawback of that is that not all NGOs are available in every city. However, there is a national hotline through the federal government that can point individuals in the direction of finding help for their substance abuse issues. It is through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
"You can give them a call at 1-800-662-4357, and they will be able to guide you through everything that you require to treat your condition," said Sangameshwar, "This will include even access to free or low cost medications to help you manage your substance abuse."
Watch the full interview with Divya Sangameshwar here.
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