EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., May 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Opiate abuse is
on the rise. In fact, approximately 4.4 million Americans are currently
using prescription pain relievers for non medical purposes, and another 2.4
million have used heroin at some time in their lives.(1) CIGNA Behavioral
Health announced today that it is the only national behavioral health
organization to provide coverage for office-based induction with
buprenorphine, an advanced type of opiate treatment which can be prescribed
and monitored on an outpatient basis with the medication taken in the
privacy of a member's own home.
-- In 2001 alone, almost 2.5 million people used pain relievers without a
medical need for the first time. This is a dramatic 335 percent
increase from 573,000 new users in 1990.(2)
-- The stigma of opioid dependence can be so overwhelming that thousands
of patients every year choose to continue using drugs rather than risk
possible exposure by receiving treatment for their addiction. As a
result, at least 1.2 million opioid-dependent patients in the US are
believed to be untreated at present.(1)
The Drug Abuse Treatment Act of 2000 provided a way for physicians to
integrate treatment of opiate dependence into general outpatient medicine
through the use of the drug Buprenorphine.
"Many people we work with are abusing substances because of a pain
killer they took for instance because of a surgery. By becoming the first
national behavioral health organization to cover the induction of
buprenorphine, we've removed some of the barriers to treatment," said Dr.
Doug Nemecek, National Medical Director of CIGNA Behavioral Health. "Until
recently, only clinic- based Methadone treatment has been available which
had a stigma attached to it. Now, a doctor can prescribe Buprenorphine,
which removes one of the major barriers to treatment because a patient can
be seen in a traditional doctor's office."
CIGNA Behavioral Health partners with CIGNA Pharmacy Management to
identify members who may be abusing painkillers and together they work with
the physician to help the member get into much needed treatment. CIGNA
offers a variety of options to assist members -- from referrals to
counseling through CIGNA Behavioral Health or CIGNA HealthCare case
management, to admission into opiate management and treatment programs.
About CIGNA Behavioral Health
CIGNA Behavioral Health (CBH) provides behavioral care benefit
management, EAPs, and work/life programs to consumers through health plans
offered by large U.S. employers, national and regional HMOs, Taft-Hartley
trusts and disability insurers. CBH, with headquarters in Eden Prairie,
Minn., operates care management centers around the U.S. in support of a
national network of more than 56,800 independent psychiatrists,
psychologists and clinical social workers and more than 5,100 facilities
and clinics. For more information, visit http://www.CIGNABehavioral.com.
(1) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2004).
Results from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National
Findings.
(2) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2006).
Results from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National
Findings
SOURCE CIGNA Behavioral Health
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Related links:
http://www.CIGNABehavioral.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/165050.html /
CONTACT:
Arlys Stadum of CIGNA Behavioral Health,
+1-763-559-5587, Arlys.Stadum@cigna.com
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