ARIZONA, USA — The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System has a new online map that can help residents find providers for treating addictions to opioids.
Users can enter their zip code into the AHCCCS website and find a list of nearby recovery centers that offer in-patient treatment programs or doses of Naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication.
The web-based tool allows providers to list out which types of health insurance plans they're willing to accept.
Opioid-related overdoses have become so prevalent in Arizona in recent years that public health officials have described their frequency as reaching the level of a widespread "epidemic."
More than 79,000 opioid-related overdoses have been reported in Arizona since 2017 and about 10,600 of the state's cases resulted in a fatality, according to the state Department of Health Services.
AHCCCS said its new provider locater should open up access to treatment by listing out current information on the types of recovery options available to patients.
“The opioid services locator is a unique tool that provides real-time access to multiple services for those in need of opioid treatment,” said AHCCCS Director Jami Snyder. “Providers will be able to update their availability so that users can quickly find the closest available resource, in real-time, for their specific needs.”
The digital tool was funded through a federal grant allocated to AHCCCS for the purpose of extending health services to underinsured and uninsured Arizona residents.
Any treatment provider, regardless of whether they serve Medicaid beneficiaries or not, will be allowed to submit their information on the locator website.
The provider locater can be found here.
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