AUSTIN — As Texas officials continue to pursue compensation from opioid manufacturers and distributors, boots-on-the-ground advocacy groups are cautiously optimistic about what settlement money could mean in ending, or at least combatting, the opioid epidemic.
In 2021, Texas reached several settlements with opioid drug makers and distributors including Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen and most recently Endo Pharmaceuticals for their role in perpetuating the opioid epidemic which in 2018 killed more than 1,400 Texans, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
That same year, Texas providers wrote 47.2 opioid prescriptions for every 100 state residents, data shows.
“Many Texans suffer from addiction and need significant support and treatment to avoid becoming another statistic,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said. “My office will continue to hold the companies that contributed to this crisis accountable and ensure that sufficient funds flow to Texas to provide much needed relief to our citizens.”
With these settlements, the state is expected to bring in an estimated $2 billion in settlement cash, much of which will go to the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund, established in the 87th legislature to manage payments received by the state from opioid manufacturers and distributors. The established fund will ensure settlement money is allocated fairly and spent to remediate the opioid crisis using efficient, cost-effective methods, according to the state’s website.
Records show at least 70% of the awarded money will be sent to the fund.
As of a Jan. 2 deadline, more than 480 Texas counties and cities had signed on to receive some kind of assistance from the fund, as part of the multi-state effort to hold companies accountable. The Texas Opioid Council has been tasked with deciding how and where that money will be spent.
“It’s time for us to come together again as only Texans can, maximize our recovery, and take care of our citizens so that we can serve as an example for the rest of the country,” Paxton said.
Jennifer Sharpe Potter, a professor of psychiatry at UT Health San Antonio, said she hopes the money will help push the state forward in how it perceives and treats opioid addiction.
Potter, who runs Recovery Texas — a website that offers access to immediate, peer-to-peer support services — and Be Well Texas Clinic — which hosts several recovery programs including a 24-hour visual clinic, said she believes the money could be transformative in how the state address substance use disorders by removing some of the many barriers.
One of the biggest barriers, she said, is access to affordable, effective treatment, which her programs look to address.
According to the National Institute of Health, methadone treatment, used to treat narcotic drug addiction, costs about $4,700 per year. This assumes daily visits and includes medication as well as integrated psychosocial and medical support services. Buprenorphine, given to stable patients in certified opioid treatment programs, can cost nearly $6,000 per year, including medication and twice weekly visits, it said.
“We know how to treat opioid use disorder. What we don't do well is how to get that treatment out into communities,” Potter said.
Harris County, the state’s most populous county, suffered the greatest number of opioid-related deaths in 2019 at 564, according to Texas Department of State Health Services data. This was followed by Dallas, Bexar, Tarrant and Travis counties, respectively.
Suzanne Jarvis, director of Data and Program Analytics at the Houston Recovery Center, said another big obstacle facing opioid use disorder is the stigma attached to drug use.
Jarvis said since there are few health conditions that have negative ripple effects into one’s life like loss of housing or a job equal to opioid use disorder, it can be difficult for society to see it as a treatable disorder and not a moral failing.
“It is a chronic health condition that can be managed over time, [but] it needs to be seen and treated that way,” she said. “We don’t punish diabetics when their sugars are off.”
Jarvis said that she hopes the state funding is used to align policies and programs in political, social and medical structures in a way that produces better health outcomes for people.
This, she said, starts with education as opioid use disorder is a preventable health condition often formed due to genetic and social factors. Then, should someone need treatment, ensure that it is timely and affordable.
“I just think the more open and educated we get, the better the solutions that will come for all of us,” she said.
Jarvis added that with the funding, she hopes the council will appropriate money based on greatest need. In doing this, she said she hopes the council directly works with advocates and communities to evaluate what their needs are and best approaches for their communities, as they vary greatly.
“It's very hard to do, but it does create an opportunity to direct the funds to the biggest bang for the bucks,” Jarvis said.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar will be executive director of the council. His office was not immediately available to confirm when the council will convene or when money will be made available.
SEATTLE & SAN ANTONIO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WEconnect Health Management today announced it is teaming with Be Well Texas at UT Health to make its WEconnect Recovery app available to Texans as part of the Be Well Texas provider network and clinical services to treat Substance Use Disorders (SUD). Be Well Texas is expanding access to compassionate care for SUD by changing the way addiction treatment medicine is delivered throughout Texas by offering treatment and support services through telehealth and in-person services. Clinical services are delivered under the supervision of board-certified physicians in Addiction Medicine and Psychiatry and are available for all people regardless of their ability to pay.
“WEconnect is a valuable addition to our offerings to help people with substance use challenges and we are excited for our continued relationship with them.”Tweet this
“Texas and UT Health are at the forefront of healthcare innovation,” said WEconnect CEO and co-founder Daniela Luzi Tudor. “UT Health’s new virtual clinic is a great example of how people in Texas can get the best services when they need it, regardless of where they are. WEconnect has taken the same approach to helping people on their recovery journey and liberating them from restrictive solutions that don’t adapt to their schedules.”
WEconnect was founded by individuals in long-term recovery for people in recovery, with the mission to support individuals and their loved ones who live with SUDs and mental health issues. WEconnect Recovery provides free and premium apps and mobile support groups designed to support the more than 70 million Americans dealing with substance misuse and mental health issues.
“Substance Use Disorder is one of the most significant issues of our time, and we are committed to finding ways to leverage technology to help all Texans grappling with the issue,” said Dr. Jennifer Potter, vice president for research (interim) and professor of psychiatry at UT Health San Antonio. “WEconnect is a valuable addition to our offerings to help people with substance use challenges and we are excited for our continued relationship with them.”
WEconnect Recovery looks at the recovery journey in a new way and enables members to build and track recovery routines for support and self-care as well as offer suggested routines; mobile support meetings led by peer counselors throughout the day; specialized support meetings; and a rewards program that incentivizes Medicaid members for building habits that support their recovery and reaching recovery milestones.
WEconnect provides a new approach to recovery that delivers proven results. A 6-month 2019 study of 190 Pennsylvania Medicaid members showed that use of the WEconnect app was associated with a 35% higher adherence in filling medication-assisted treatment (MAT) prescriptions and a 76% higher rate of primary care provider (PCP) engagement.
About WEconnect Health Management
WEconnect Health Management is a healthcare technology startup focused on solving the biggest public health crisis of our time: substance use disorder. WEconnect Health’s suite of healthcare technology products includes an app which is the first of its kind in the digital healthcare space, providing evidence-based recovery techniques to reduce relapse rates, save lives and support healthy communities. For more information on WEconnect Health, visit our website.
There’s a new, low-cost resource for Texans to find a path to recovery from substance use and mental health issues.
It’s called Recovery Texas, and while based at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the help, resources and treatment provided are available to all of Texas, with funding to cover the cost of those who are unable to pay.
The website, RecoveryTexas.org, is at the heart of the initiative. Here, Texans can chat with peer recovery support specialists, take advantage of a self-screening tool, or schedule an appointment for treatment at the Be Well Texas Clinic. This is a new, telehealth clinic that provides the same, high-quality experience as an outpatient program.
Recovery Texas has secured funding to cover the cost of both the treatment and medication, if that’s deemed appropriate.
The path to recovery can begin by calling or texting 1-833-922-2557, or chatting online at recoverytexas.org. The staff is ready to help Texans weekdays, 9:00 AM – 9:00PM, Central Time. The project launched in October, and is already expanding. The hotline and web chat will be staffed 24-hour a day in the coming weeks.
A new, statewide initiative called Recovery Texas is now available to help individuals struggling with substance use find access to free care. The project, led by Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH, of UT Health San Antonio, was instituted to reach those impacted by the isolation of COVID-19 and the impacts of natural disasters.
The project centers around RecoveryTexas.org, a website that offers access to immediate help via phone or text, as well as online substance use and mental health self-assessments and access to non-traditional therapies like yoga and peer recovery support. The site also serves as a resource hub to help those with more severe cases to easily access medication-assisted treatment and referrals to counseling within a statewide network of providers who can treat them, regardless of the individual’s ability to pay.
“We have needed a program like Recovery Texas for a long time to overcome stigma and make it easy for individuals and families to access compassionate care for substance use exactly when they need it. Everything offered on Recovery Texas is evidence-based, meaning that all the programs are proven to be the best treatments available. This is all available to anyone, whether they have insurance or not,” said Dr. Potter, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who directs Texas Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (TxMOUD), a center within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences created to eliminate barriers to evidence-based treatment for those with substance use disorder (SUD).
Dr. Potter also serves as vice dean for research in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and associate vice president for South Texas Public Health Initiatives at UT Health San Antonio.
Recovery Texas comes at a crucial time, as COVID-19 ramps up again across the country. Since the pandemic began, there has been a 29.4% increase in overdose deaths nationally and a 31.9% increase in Texas, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Texas Department of State Health Services reports 20,000 emergency room visits due to opioid poisonings, with over 1,500 of those occurring in Bexar County.
“It’s really been a perfect storm for this,” said Karla Ramirez, LCSW, MSSW, MSHA, associate director of TxMOUD and a specialist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “There has been a significant increase of overdoses, especially during the pandemic because there was such a lack of connection and we were all so isolated. People clearly are struggling.”
RecoveryTexas.org is designed for anyone who feels they are or may be struggling with substance use, no matter the substance or severity. The site provides immediate access to help by phone or text, including access to a certified peer support counselor — an individual who has lived through the recovery process and has special training to accompany others on this journey.
“Substance use and substance use disorder, it’s a big continuum,” Ramirez said. “Someone using a substance in an inappropriate way, like using prescription medicine in a way other than prescribed, or someone who is drinking a little too much — that can turn into a substance use disorder, especially when they start engaging in activities that are bad for them or going to extreme lengths just to obtain the substance. And it’s important to remember that it is considered a chronic disease,” Ramirez said.
RecoveryTexas.org also includes a portal to the referral network and the UT Health Physicians Be Well Texas Clinic regardless of ability to pay. Among the UT Health San Antonio mental health providers are Van King, MD, professor, and Jennifer Papac, MD, clinical assistant professor, in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
The project is supported by a number of funding streams, including grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Texas Health and Human Services (THHS), together funding approximately $25 million for this project. The project partners with harm reduction programs across the state and local mental health authorities, and is a collaboration with Unity Recovery, a recovery community organization.
