[ad_1]
MINNETONKA, Minn .– (BUSINESS WIRE– UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company (NYSE: UNH), has
introduced oral health strategies to combat the epidemic of opioids,
s supporting a comprehensive approach to the business to combat the epidemic of all
angles. Oral health approaches include:
-
Pharmacy policy: All first opioid prescriptions
written by dental health professionals for people 19 and under are
now capped at three days and less than 50 milligrams of morphine
equivalents per day, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control
And prevention (CDC). Among the first dental plans to take this step for
participants aged 19 and under, this policy limits access to
often unnecessarily bulky prescriptions and facilitates the management of patients.
commitment to reduce the risks of abuse.
-
Participants in the dental plan: All dental UnitedHealthcare
plan members with dependents aged 16 to 22 will receive
information by mail about the risks badociated with opioids,
specifically in relation to wisdom tooth extractions. More than
two-thirds (70%) of wisdom tooth extractions in 16-year-olds
out of 22 at least one opioid prescription, which gives this
the information will help parents and young people to better identify the pain
management alternatives and strategies to manage the frequency of use,
appropriate dosing and disposal of unused opioids. A recent
study from Stanford University found that teens and young adults
can end up in a battle against opioid addiction as a result of wisdom teeth
deletion. -
Dental health professionals: Dental health professionals
among the top 10% of opioid prescribers
UnitedHealthcare network – measured by the number of days per day
equivalent in milligrams of supply and / or morphine per day – last year
received information on their status. After UnitedHealthcare
awareness, improved prescription patterns by 17%3.
This information campaign has been expanded to include the network
dental health professionals who are in the top 20 percent of the
the most important prescribers of the UnitedHealthcare network. -
Public service announcements (PSA): TV
and radio
PSA – in collaboration with Shatterproof,
a national non-profit organization facing the epidemic of opioids – broadcast now
across the country, helping parents and health professionals
understand the connection between oral health and the opioid epidemic.
"Oral health is an important part of the fight against opioids
epidemic and to help reduce the abuse of these drugs, which is why
UnitedHealthcare has launched these programs, "said Tom Wiffler, CEO of
UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits. "By working together, we can help
address this important national public health problem. "
The economic cost of the opioid epidemic exceeds $ 500 billion
every year, according to a study
Council of Economic Advisers.
UnitedHealthcare also works with health care providers and
communities, and using powerful data and badysis to prevent opioids.
Misuse and dependence, adapt the ways of treating drug addicts
and support long-term recovery.
More about UnitedHealthcare's efforts to fight opioids
The epidemic is available here.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare
is dedicated to helping people live a healthier life and doing the
health system works better for everyone by simplifying health care
experience, meeting consumers' needs for health and well-being and maintaining
trusting relationships with caregivers. In the USA,
UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefit programs for
individuals, employers and beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid, and
contracts directly with more than 1.2 million physicians and care
professionals and 6,500 hospitals and other health care facilities nationally.
The company also provides health benefits and provides care to people
through health care institutions owned and managed in South America
UnitedHealthcare is one of the activities of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:
UNH), a diversified healthcare company. For more information, visit
UnitedHealthcare on www.uhc.com
or follow @UHC on Twitter.
|
1 |
Analysis of UnitedHealthcare pharmaceutical claims representing more than 4 |
|
|
2 |
CDC / NCHS, national |
|
|
3 |
Analysis of UnitedHealthcare pharmaceutical claims representing more than 4 |
|
Click on
here to subscribe to UnitedHealth Group mobile alerts.
Source link
