February 2017

Kicking the Habit: Helping to Overcome Opioid Addiction in America

America is seemingly beset by an epidemic of people becoming addicted to opioids – powerful narcotics that were designed to ease pain. In 2014, more than 28,600 died from such overdoses. In fact, six out of 10 overdoses involve prescription opioids.

In our Connect community for members, we are running a three-part series on how Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) is helping members who may be struggling with opioid abuse. The first article chronicles the journey of a member who slipped into addiction and is fighting to recover. The second article is a Q&A about our unique program to identify addiction and help members. It’s followed by a third article that discusses the differences between acute and chronic pain, and how patients can talk to their doctor when asking for relief.

Learn more about the Opioid Abuse Epidemic in the video below with Dr. Joe McClaran, medical director, BCBSTX. This segment discusses the challenges surrounding opioid abuse, as well as our programs that aim to help Texans navigate opioid addiction.