[February 07, 2019] |
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UnitedHealthcare Confronts the Opioid Epidemic by Introducing Oral Health Programs and Policies
UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, has
introduced oral health strategies to confront the opioid epidemic,
building on a companywide approach to address the epidemic from all
angles. The oral health approaches include:
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https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190207005616/en/
Here's a look at some key data points highlighting the often-overlooked connection between the opioid epidemic and dental care (Source (News - Alert): UnitedHealthcare).
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Pharmacy Policy: All first-time opioid prescriptions
written by dental health professionals for people age 19 and under are
now capped at three days and fewer than 50 morphine milligram
equivalents per day, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control
& Prevention (CDC). Among the first dental plans to take this step for
plan participants age 19 and under, this policy helps limit access to
often unnecessarily large prescriptions and helps facilitate patient
engagement to reduce the risk of misuse.
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Dental Plan Participants: All UnitedHealthcare dental
plan participants with dependents ages 16 to 22 will receive
information by mail about the risks associated with opioids,
specifically in connection to wisdom teeth extractions. More than
two-thirds (70 percent) of wisdom teeth extractions for people ages 16
to 22 result in at least one opioid prescription, so providing this
information will help parents and young people better identify pain
management alternatives and strategies to manage the frequency of use,
dosage and proper disposal of unused opioids. A recent
study from Stanford University found that teens and young adults
can end up in a battle with opioid addiction following wisdom teeth
removal.
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Dental Health Professionals: Dental health professionals
identified as among the top 10 percent of highest opioid prescribers
in UnitedHealthcare's network - as measured by the number of days per
supply and/or morphine milligram equivalents per day - last year
received information about their status. Following UnitedHealthcare's
outreach, prescribing patterns improved by 17 percent3.
This informational campaign has now been expanded to include network
dental health professionals that are in the top 20 percent of the
highest prescribers in the UnitedHealthcare network.
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Public Service Announcements (PSAs): TV
and radio
PSAs - in collaboration with Shatterproof,
a national nonprofit confronting the opioid epidemic - are now airing
across the country, helping parents and health professionals
understand the connection between oral health and the opioid epidemic.
"Oral health is an important facet in the fight against the opioid
epidemic and in helping reduce the misuse of these drugs, which is why
UnitedHealthcare has introduced these programs," said Tom Wiffler, CEO,
UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits. "Working together, we can help
address this important national public health issue."
The economic cost from the opioid epidemic exceeds $500 billion
annually, according to a study
from The Council of Economic Advisors.
UnitedHealthcare is also collaborating with health care providers and
communities, and using powerful data and analytics to prevent opioid
misuse and addiction, tailor ways to treat people who are addicted
and support long-term recovery.
More information about UnitedHealthcare's efforts to address the opioid
epidemic is available here.
About UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealthcare
is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the
health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care
experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining
trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States,
UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for
individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and
contracts directly with more than 1.2 million physicians and care
professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide.
The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people
through owned and operated health care facilities in South America.
UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:
UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit
UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com
or follow @UHC on Twitter (News - Alert).
1
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UnitedHealthcare pharmacy claims analysis representing more than 4
million claims, 2018
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2
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CDC/NCHS, National
Vital Statistics System, Mortality. CDC Wonder, Atlanta, GA:
US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2018. https://wonder.cdc.gov.
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3
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UnitedHealthcare pharmacy claims analysis representing more than 4
million claims, 2018
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