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Transforming healthcare for lasting recovery

By François de Brantes on 9/25/20 10:31 AM

Each September, the health and mental health communities come together during National Recovery Month to reflect and discuss where we are and where we need to go to help those with substance use disorders achieve lasting recovery. This September, the discussion has taken on a whole new level of complexity with COVID-19 constraining access to services and limiting the in-person support that is a vital part of 

Despite these challenges, what COVID-19 has demonstrated is the ability for the health community to mobilize quickly to solve urgent problems. We have an opportunity to similarly focus our collective energy to tackle SUDs on two fronts: delivery and payment reforms that can shift the paradigm from a short-term, siloed approach to one that incentivizes long-term recovery.

How do we get from here to there? 

Innovative health plans, employers and advocacy groups have been refining a new payment model that creates an “addiction medical home.” They are addressing what have been core barriers to effective and lasting recovery, including inadequate treatment guidelines, a siloed approach to care and payment, lack of community integration, an absence of patient navigation assistance, and a short-term approach to treatment.

These experiences offer valuable data and learnings that payers, providers and plans can apply to their strategies. We have curated on our website a suite of resources that feature information and perspectives from many of these thought leaders. Among these materials is a new white paper, “Supporting Long-Term Recovery: The Employer’s Role,” which examines the impact of SUDs on employers through a human and economic lens and discusses how they can support lasting recovery through their benefits strategies. 

We at Signify Health stand with the millions of people battling substance use disorder and the dedicated clinicians, counselors and caregivers who work tirelessly to support them on their journey. We are committed to collaborating with stakeholders across healthcare to advance innovative care delivery and payment models that align everyone around the goal of achieving long-term recovery.