In the middle of a national opioid epidemic, one major health insurance provider has decided it will no longer cover OxyContin prescriptions next year.
Instead of covering OxyContin, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee will encourage doctors to prescribe two prescription that are less likely to be abused, Xtampza and Morphabond, the Tennessean reported. OxyContin, a highly addictive pain killer, will no longer be covered beginning Jan. 1, 2019.
The decision marks an important turn in the ongoing opioid addiction crisis, which killed 72,000 people in 2017. Several states have taken their own actions to attempt to limit the harms of opioid addiction, including Arizona limiting prescriptions and doses.
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Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."