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State's first opioid 'health home' program to launch in Northern Michigan

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Michigan has launched a program focused on addiction recovery that seeks to curb the opioid epidemic in the state.

Lt. Gov. Calley on Thursday announced the start of the state's first Opioid Health Home program. It's available for people on Medicaid in the northern 21 counties of the Lower Peninsula. The program coordinates health and social services that typically aren't eligible for Medicaid reimbursement.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services approval to implement the program.

The purpose of the health home is to: 

  • Improve care management of beneficiaries with opioid use disorders and comorbid chronic conditions, including Medication Assisted Treatment.
  • Improve care coordination between physical and behavioral health care services.
  • Improve care transitions between primary, specialty and inpatient settings of care.

Earlier this month, Michigan reported opioid deaths jumped by about 9 percent last year . Other efforts to combat the epidemic include providing online resources for patients, health workers and communities; and an automated prescription system aimed at improving assessments of a patient's substance abuse risk.

The first home officially launched on Oct. 1.  

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