December 5, 2019
In the wake of the opioid epidemic, 93 million Americans are affected by substance use disorders. On top of that, an estimated $442 billion is spent on treatment for substance use disorder annually.
With numbers this high, Premera is committed to tackling the opioid epidemic nationwide and improving care quality with access to effective treatment for members with substance use disorder. On January 1, 2020, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) is launching a new designation — Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) for Substance Use Treatment and Recovery.
"Asking for help is hard. And knowing where to go to get the right care, especially for such a sensitive condition, is even harder," said Tonya Owens, Provider Initiatives consultant. "That's why we’re proud to be able to help our customers find high-quality providers across the nation for their substance use disorder. Designated Substance Use Treatment and Recovery providers are committed to providing high-quality, effective treatment."
What does this designation mean for providers?
The BDC Specialty Care – Centers of Excellence program surfaces providers who are doing great work in specific specialties that we know have significant variance in cost, volume and patient outcomes. The providers who meet certain quality thresholds are designated as a BDC provider. Our members can then easily identify these providers.
Providing better treatment for substance use recovery
BDC Substance Use Treatment and Recovery designated treatment facilities offer multi-disciplinary, value-focused coordinated care. They also offer medication-assisted treatment and other evidence-based therapies. Not only are BDC providers lowering readmission rates by 27 percent 90 days after treatment; they are also lowering cost by 67 percent.
"We believe that by offering this designation, our members will save money and see better health outcomes," Tonya said.
Premera has 13 providers in Washington and Alaska that are currently designated in substance use treatment and recovery, including:
Washington
- Hazelden Betty Ford
- Evergreen – Monroe
- Lakeside Milam (9 locations)
- Schick Shadel
Alaska
- Providence Alaska Medical Center
Premera is making the process simple and easy for our members to find Blue Distinction Centers for Substance Use Treatment and Recovery. We’ll identify Blue Distinction Specialty Care providers in our existing Find a Doctor online tool. These providers will surface first in searches and our cost transparency tools will spotlight these providers.
For questions related to this program or any of our other Blue Distinction Specialty Care programs, contact your Provider Network Executive.