Ophelia Expands Opioid Addiction Treatment In New Jersey, Now Serving 89% Of Medicaid Patients

(MENAFN- PR Newswire)

• Expanded Medicaid coverage with Horizon
  BCBS, UnitedHealthcare, and Wellpoint, coupled with Ophelia's pre-existing commercial health insurance relationships, deliver affordable, evidence-based medical treatment for opioid addiction to 3 million New Jerseyans
• Opioids claimed the lives of 2,651 New Jerseyans in 2022 amid an ongoing nationwide opioid epidemic

NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ophelia , a virtual opioid addiction treatment provider, today announced that it is now serving Medicaid patients statewide in New Jersey. Ophelia has been serving commercial health plan members and uninsured New Jerseyans since 2022. The Medicaid coverage expansion now provides 3 million New Jersey residents access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), an evidence-based approach to OUD care that's considered the gold standard by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Within the last two decades, 645,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose. In 2022 alone, there were more than 2,500 opioid-related overdose deaths in New Jersey, yet access to quality MOUD treatment providers is extremely limited and difficult to find. Additionally, only one-third of community outpatient mental health treatment facilities in states with a high rate of opioid addiction offer MOUD treatment. Ophelia is addressing this crisis through its virtual-first care model, making treatment both easily accessible and affordable with expanded insurance coverage.

Ophelia's in-network coverage with Medicaid plans across New Jersey, including Horizon BCBS, UnitedHealthcare, and Wellpoint, created access to accessible, affordable addiction treatment for New Jersey communities. Rather than navigating the logistical hurdles of finding in-person care, patients can connect from home with care coordinators who help schedule telehealth appointments with Ophelia's MOUD-trained clinicians. Ophelia's clinicians work with patients to prescribe the necessary medication and help manage their prescriptions.

"Our mission is to break down the barriers that prevent people from receiving life-saving OUD care, and our in-network Medicaid coverage in New Jersey brings us one step closer to that," said Zack Gray, CEO and co-founder at Ophelia. "Access to specialized virtual care is only impactful when it's affordable. We'll continue to collaborate with health insurance plans to make quality MOUD treatment accessible and affordable in each state because, while each step forward matters, the reality is that we have a long way to go to improve our nation's opioid crisis."

A recent study on treatment retention rates found that a patient's
insurance status has a direct critical impact on MOUD treatment retention rates and health outcomes. Patients receiving opioid treatment via in-network insurance, who were predominantly Medicaid recipients, overwhelmingly (72%) stayed in treatment for at least 180 days, compared
to uninsured cash-pay patients (48%) and insured out-of-network cash-pay patients (37%).

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About Ophelia
Ophelia is a digital provider of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD), committed to making evidence-based treatment universally accessible. Its mission is to remove barriers for the 80% of Americans with OUD who are unable to access care. At its core is the Ophelia Care Model, a team-based clinical model and software platform developed by leading experts in addiction medicine and psychiatry. Ophelia is licensed to provide care in 49 states and D.C. and is contracted with Medicaid, Medicare, and Commercial insurers covering 85 million American lives.

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