Florida Blue Partnership Increases Substance Abuse Care Access

June 14, 2021 - Updated 6/16/21: Dr. Dewan is an MD. A previous version of this article included PhD in his title. 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (Florida Blue) and New Directions Behavioral Health have partnered with the nonprofit organization Shatterproof to increase substance abuse care access for Floridians.

Together, these entities will offer a platform that gives patients with substance abuse care needs more power to assess a provider’s treatment approach.

First, the database analyzes substance abuse treatment providers’ use of evidence-based practices.

Then, the partners make that information publicly available to patients. Using the ATLAS database, individuals can search for treatment options using certain criteria such as location, services, and payers that the provider will accept, according to the press release.

Patients can find treatment providers for any substance use disorder and can provide feedback on their treatment using the platform.

“The overlap of the pandemic and the opioid crisis has caused unprecedented challenges for families and communities across our state,” said Nick Dewan, MD, vice president of behavioral health for Florida Blue.

“We are committed to transforming the quality of addiction treatment, improving transparency for health care consumers and ensuring Floridians have access to the type of care they need.”

The database functions with the help of facility-level data, so the partners will have to acquire that information from providers who are willing to share that data. Thus, collaboration with providers will be key to the success of this tool.

The rise in drug overdose deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic has underscored the need for better substance abuse care in the US. In the year leading up to May 2020, drug overdoses hit a record high number of drug overdose deaths in a single twelve-month period. 

“It is now more critical than ever, given the profound uptick in overdoses and the impact that COVID-19 has had on addiction and mental health, that people are able to access a trusted, free resource when in search of quality substance use disorder treatment for themselves or a loved one,” Jen Velez, chief impact officer of Shatterproof said in the press release.

“Trust is everything. We know that it can be a confusing, scary time when someone is seeking help, and we want to ensure that the information available to find quality care is trusted, unbiased, and meets the person’s needs.”

In addition to serving individuals with substance abuse care needs, the database could prove useful to policymakers and insurance companies as they formulate better laws and strategies around addiction treatment.

This is not the first time Florida Blue has worked to address the addiction and substance use disorder crises. In 2017, the payer eliminated a potentially addictive opioid from its formulary, the press release noted. It was the first payer in the state to do so.

In the past three years, the Florida Blue Foundation has donated almost $7.5 million to organizations that help individuals and families impacted by the opioid crisis. The payer also started Project Opioid. The program combats the opioid pandemic in the state of Florida.

Other payers have taken steps to increase access to substance abuse care as well.

For example, Tufts Health Plan partnered with Recovery Centers of America, a program that offers acute treatment services, clinical stabilization services, outpatient treatment, and medication-assisted treatment.

During the pandemic, Humana focused heavily on member engagement and offered yoga classes to incarcerated individuals, veterans, and those suffering from substance abuse.

Florida Blue has also helped its members address social determinants of health. In 2019, the payer employed social workers to help community members in their retails centers navigate benefits and connect them with social services.