dopetalk does not endorse any advertised product nor does it accept any liability for it's use or misuse

This website has run out of funding so feel free to contribute if you can afford it (see footer)

Author Topic: Change in Direction re: Addiction (OBAMA speech today)  (Read 5872 times)

Offline suboxstitute (OP)

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Jun 2015
  • Location: Upper Midwest
  • Posts: 199
  • Reputation Power: 12
  • suboxstitute is new on the scene.
  • Gender: Female
  • Last Login:April 06, 2021, 01:44:25 PM
Change in Direction re: Addiction (OBAMA speech today)
« on: October 22, 2015, 02:51:13 PM »
I just caught a little bit of this on MSNBC tonight, but it was very interesting...

Obama was giving a speech -- maybe in W. Virginia??  ---  about pushing for wider acceptance/& ins coverage of "maintenance medication" (he used that phrase) in the treatment of addiction.  He had an emphasis on addiction as disease.

The governor of Vermont (who spent his entire state of the state speech last year on the heroin epidemic in his state) came on afterwards and talked about how this was great and so necessary since we "give out Oxycontin like candy and then everyone gets addicted and then everyone turns to cheaper options i.e. heroin when they run out or can't get their legal pills from the doctor".    I don't like that oversimplification; it makes me angry --  that's not my point right now.

It's in the details of what Obama was talking about.  I haven't heard him talk so directly, at least not for a long time.  You could tell he was being sorta "PC" about it (like you have to have lifestyle change, counseling, etc. along w/medication) but he DID say we have to get over thinking "it's just exchanging one addiction for another".  And  so A LOT of talk about pushing much greater use of maintenance drugs for addiction treatment, specifically in/through federal health programs.  And giving agencies 90 days to come up with a list of roadblock for why we CAN'T do this and if so, why not and what can we do to remove barriers???

Specifically, I think he was talking about federally funded insurance programs (Medicare & Medicaid, the latter of which is state-administered but federally funded to a large degree) adding Suboxone/Subutex to the existing options available for drug treatment.

Medicaid doesn't cover bupe, right?   Never did, and that's a huge problem.      MMT  is covered by Medicaid in some circumstances,  correct?   Sorry I am so uninformed; I am fortunate to have health insurance thru' the husband which largely funded my suboxone treatment several years ago.   

Anyone know anymore?  I'll read up on it tomorrow; gotta go to bed. 



friendly
0
funny
0
informative
0
agree
0
disagree
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian philosopher 1895-1986

Offline LoneRanger7

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2015
  • Location: Tampa
  • Posts: 84
  • Reputation Power: 5
  • LoneRanger7 is new on the scene.
  • Last Login:December 04, 2017, 07:24:00 AM
  • Better living through chemistry
Re: Change in Direction re: Addiction (OBAMA speech today)
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2015, 05:48:45 PM »
 I used to get subs through Medicaid, but it's not in the formulary, you have to get a special approval which you can only get if your doc is willing to go to bat for you (at least here in FL). They covered it for one year. But it's certainly not a "covered" med.
friendly
0
funny
0
informative
0
agree
0
disagree
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

Offline smalls

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2015
  • Location:
  • Posts: 143
  • Reputation Power: 9
  • smalls is new on the scene.
  • Gender: Female
  • Last Login:October 08, 2018, 09:05:28 AM
  • East Coast Hermit
Re: Change in Direction re: Addiction (OBAMA speech today)
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2015, 07:23:42 PM »
Wow that is great to hear.
I'm not sure how to feel about the whole VT thing - yes the awareness raised by the governor's state of the state address is good. Any time a politician can speak about addicts as though they're humans who deserve empathy and dignity is a good thing. But I'd be interested to see what all has really changed since then. In San Francisco alone there are 135 sub dr's listed on SAMHSA, and there are only 41 listed for the ENTIRE state of Vermont. A state that is supposedly in the middle of an epidemic. Waitlists are hundreds of people long. Hopefully the Obama speech you reference is part of fixing that.

I used to get subs through Medicaid, but it's not in the formulary, you have to get a special approval which you can only get if your doc is willing to go to bat for you (at least here in FL). They covered it for one year. But it's certainly not a "covered" med.
Same in CA. If you want to use Medi-Cal for subs your doctor has to apply on your behalf, or something like that. Sure you can start and hope to get it reimbursed but many people don't have the cash in hand for subs, especially that initial visit.

Nice that they covered you for a year - I knew someone who used Kaiser to pay for their sub treatment and they were given three months. Kaiser apparently deemed that plenty of time to get over ones addiction.
friendly
0
funny
0
informative
0
agree
0
disagree
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

Offline dizzle

  • that nizzle
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • SA_Chat+
  • **
  • Join Date: Aug 2015
  • Location: chi-tizzle
  • Posts: 681
  • Reputation Power: 40
  • dizzle is now getting very popular.dizzle is now getting very popular.dizzle is now getting very popular.dizzle is now getting very popular.
  • Gender: Male
  • Last Login:February 15, 2019, 02:40:50 AM
Re: Change in Direction re: Addiction (OBAMA speech today)
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2015, 10:36:04 PM »
Thank you for this! I'm going to find it and post a copy here. I really find this a sign of better days to come for us addicts.


a thought process shift in our entire society is the only way those better days are to come, when people quit posting terrible comments in news stories like "every addict that OD's is another I don't have to fund with my tax dollars"

-----THEN I'LL say we've arrived, but we're a LONG way from that point right now!
friendly
0
funny
0
informative
0
agree
0
disagree
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

Offline Griffin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Join Date: Aug 2015
  • Location:
  • Posts: 914
  • Reputation Power: 34
  • Griffin is working their way up.Griffin is working their way up.Griffin is working their way up.
  • Gender: Male
  • Last Login:February 29, 2020, 09:21:12 PM
  • Welcome to our community forum ...
Re: Change in Direction re: Addiction (OBAMA speech today)
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2015, 10:44:34 PM »
In colorado medicaid covers my MMT 100% I pay nothing. All my UAs, meds, counseling, dr appts, and groups are covered by it. I know that some private clinics don't take medicaid. My clinic takes Kaiser and medicaid currently and the Kaiser clients have to pay $60 a month. I didn't have to get any special appointments or anything to get my medicaid covered they just took my number and that was all. Through Kaiser you have to have an EKG and then get into see an addiction doctor to get it approved.

Medicaid was $60 a month when I started in Nov 2013 and they switched it to being free in August last year. Without Kaiser or Medicaid you pay on a sliding scale $230-$300 a month unless that has gone up sense I started in 2013. I think this is a step in the right direction though. We need more rehab facilities and addiction coverage for all types of insurances. They also need to do a 180 on how drug offenders are treated in the judicial system. Also free and legalized heroin for all and maybe opana in those candy dispensers where you put in a quarter for a handful. I think this will all be part of my announcement to run for president.

When I was on subs I had kaiser through my job and my appointments were $15 and my copay for the subs were $60. I had the little card which gave me $60 off making them free. When I lost my job and insurance the appointments were $120 and my meds were around $550. The doctor refused to give me the sublingual generic bupe/naloxone which would of only cost me $140 per script. I had to switch to methadone and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2015, 10:49:44 PM by Griffin »
friendly
0
funny
0
informative
0
agree
0
disagree
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

Offline Smacky-Doodle 2.0

  • All-Around Junker
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Join Date: Sep 2015
  • Location: right behind you....
  • Posts: 244
  • Reputation Power: 13
  • Smacky-Doodle 2.0 is new on the scene.
  • Gender: Male
  • Last Login:June 10, 2021, 03:26:07 AM
  • Welcome to drugs-and-users !
Re: Change in Direction re: Addiction (OBAMA speech today)
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2015, 12:52:08 AM »
My clinic doesn't accept Medicaid as of right now, but they are trying to implement it in the near future.  Or so they claim.

Time will tell.
friendly
0
funny
0
informative
0
agree
0
disagree
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
I often ask myself:  "What would Trevor Philips do?"

Offline suboxstitute (OP)

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Jun 2015
  • Location: Upper Midwest
  • Posts: 199
  • Reputation Power: 12
  • suboxstitute is new on the scene.
  • Gender: Female
  • Last Login:April 06, 2021, 01:44:25 PM
Re: Change in Direction re: Addiction (OBAMA speech today)
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2015, 12:57:10 AM »
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-announces-new-steps-to-combat-heroin-prescription-drug-abuse/2015/10/21/e454f8fa-7800-11e5-a958-d889faf561dc_story.html

Link to article re: Obama's speech yesterday in West Virginia; calls for more treatment w/bupe; more access more funding....

eta:  But our asshole, do-nothing Congress is unlikely to approve any funding; they're stilling fighting to shut down the government over Planned Parenthood.  But at least Obama sets a decent tone, and a police chief says "We can't arrest ourselves out of this mess"  (referring to the increase in heroin addiction)
« Last Edit: October 23, 2015, 12:59:40 AM by suboxstitute »
friendly
0
funny
0
informative
0
agree
0
disagree
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian philosopher 1895-1986

Tags:
 


dopetalk does not endorse any advertised product nor does it accept any liability for it's use or misuse





TERMS AND CONDITIONS

In no event will d&u or any person involved in creating, producing, or distributing site information be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, special or consequential damages arising out of the use of or inability to use d&u. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless d&u, its domain founders, sponsors, maintainers, server administrators, volunteers and contributors from and against all liability, claims, damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from the use of any part of the d&u site.


TO USE THIS WEBSITE YOU MUST AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS ABOVE


Founded December 2014
SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal