GREENWOOD -- Five more treatment programs at sites scattered around Indiana will be added to deal with the state's growing opioid addiction problem, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced at a press conference today.
State Medicaid will cover the programs, including methadone treatment, for most patients.
The five new opioid treatment programs will be located in Allen, Johnson, Monroe, Tippecanoe and Vigo counties. The sites were chosen as convenient locations for many Hoosiers who need the programs.
That brings the number of state-recognized opioid treatment programs in Indiana to 19.
Dr. Jennifer Walthall, secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, joined Holcomb in making today's announcement.
Neither provided an estimated cost for the programs or an estimate of the number of Hoosiers who would benefit from the expansion of treatment.
The announcement was made at Valle Vista Health System, a mental health and addictions treatment center in Greenwood. Services there include treatment for chemical dependency and management of opiate withdrawal symptoms.
Last Thursday, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association reported that 21 percent of its commercially-insured members filled at least one opioid prescription in 2015.
Data also show BCBS members with an opioid use disorder diagnosis spiked 493 percent over a seven-year study period.
The study found that 21.5 percent of Indiana members filled at least one opioid prescription in 2015. In Indiana, 11.3 of every 1,000 BCBS members had an opioid use disorder diagnosis in 2016.
The study also found that, nationally, women age 45 and older have higher rates of opioid use disorder than men. Men younger than 45 have higher rates of opioid use disorder than women. But women fill more opioid prescriptions than men across all age groups.
According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids (including prescription opioids and heroin) kill more than 33,000 people annually in the United States. Nearly half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid.
The majority of drug overdose deaths -- more than 6 out of 10 -- involve an opioid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationally, about 91 people die every day from opioid overdoses.