Buprenorphine charges to uninsured patients at top-ranked U.S. hospitals

Opioid-related overdose deaths (OD) in the United States (U.S.) have increased substantially [1], with counties with increased poverty and unemployment rates at higher risk [2]. Evidence-based treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) exists, such buprenorphine (a partial opioid agonist medication), and can be initiated in the Emergency Department (ED) and hospital settings [3-5]. Although the majority of Medicare Part B plans cover buprenorphine, the medication can be prohibitively expensive for uninsured patients [6-8].

Source: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine - April 23, 2019 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Joshua D. Niforatos, Stephen C. Dorner, Richard M. Pescatore, Ali S. Raja Source Type: research