Chattanooga, TN – ReVIDA® Recovery is a local rehab that recently released an article investigating if Medicaid pays for Suboxone. With locations throughout Tennessee and Virginia, they are helping many find their recovery from opioid use disorders.
“When treating opioid use disorders, Suboxone is a medication medical professionals might use during medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help manage symptoms of withdrawal, including cravings. It is used as a tool alongside treatment plans, allowing people to focus on other services such as counseling. The medication is a 4 to 1 ratio of buprenorphine and naloxone, which has a “ceiling” effect that makes it difficult to overdose on. This “ceiling” effect makes it safer even at higher doses, as it levels off the effects of buprenorphine. Typically, people do not have to be on the medication forever, and they can taper off once they are ready. The time someone is on Suboxone can vary from person to person because everyone is different and requires different timelines for recovery,” the article reads.
People are prescribed Suboxone because it makes withdrawal from opioids easier to manage. Opioid withdrawal often comes with intense cravings and uncomfortable symptoms. When people take Suboxone, it allows them to focus on treatment programs instead of their desire to use opioids. This is a life-saving solution for many, as Suboxone allows them to move past their cravings and withdrawal symptoms so they can focus on their recovery. Some common opioid withdrawal symptoms people might experience include intense cravings, muscle aches, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, and nausea.
Medicaid covers Suboxone under two circumstances in Tennessee. The first is that the patient must be diagnosed with an opioid use disorder. The second is that a physician must prescribe the medication. The physician will review the Controlled Substances Database to ensure there is no overlap in prescriptions for the patient. They also have to submit an anticipated treatment plan and obtain a TennCare/Medicaid ID number. Medicaid will also cover buprenorphine hydrochloride if the person cannot take Suboxone. This can be due to pregnancy or an allergy to naloxone.
“In 2020, the average cost of Suboxone with Medicaid in the United States was around 10 cents per day. In the same year, people who did not have any form of insurance paid, on average, $8.44 a day for the medication. People with commercial or private insurance paid around $1.82 a day. These numbers mean, assuming a 30-day month of taking the medication, on average, people who had Medicaid spent around $3 a month for Suboxone. Those with commercial or private insurance paid around $54.60, and people without Medicaid or other forms of insurance spent around $253.20 a month,” the article continues.
Medicaid is called TennCare in Tennessee. It provides healthcare to low-income people, specifically for pregnant women, parents or close relatives of a minor child, those who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks, children under age 21, people who have gotten an SSI check and a Social Security check in the same month at least once since April 1977 and still receive Social Security checks, people who live in a medical institution and have a monthly income below $2,829, and those receiving long-term care services covered by TennCare. To receive Medicaid, the person must meet one of the above requirements and meet the income and resource limits for those groups.
ReVIDA® Recovery specializes in the treatment of opioid use disorder. Their program includes outpatient therapy sessions combined with medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with Suboxone. They have seen firsthand the benefits MAT has in treating this life-threatening disorder, offering hope to those who have an opioid use disorder and want to find recovery.
To learn more about ReVIDA® Recovery, call 423-631-0432 or visit their website.
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For more information about ReVIDA Recovery® Chattanooga, contact the company here:
ReVIDA Recovery® Chattanooga
Jennifer Cooke
(423) 243-3342
generalinfo@revidarecovery.com
5870 Highway 153, Suite 122
Hixson, TN 37343
