BCBS companies announce new initiatives to advance treatment for opioid use disorder Stop it before it starts: Five strategies to prevent opioid addiction A new approach to curbing the opioid epidemic, right in the ER Using prevention treatment and data to tackle the opioid epidemic Helping healthcare providers treat a surge of opioid-addicted patients Find out how BCBS companies are working to improve the health of all Americans. Download Fact Sheet Prevention National Council of Physician and Pharmacist Executives (NCPE) Announcement U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) National Drug Take-Back Day Our mission to curb the opioids crisis in Louisiana BCBS CEOs taking action Treatment and Recovery Opioid Relapse Reduction Therapeutics Grant Tapping virtual reality to treat addiction and autism Responding to the U.S. opioid crisis: What's working in Massachusetts? Can health insurers play a role in recovery from addiction? Helping healthcare providers treat a surge of opioid-addicted patients Insights into the Epidemic BCBS Alliance for Health Research The opioid epidemic in America: An update America's opioid epidemic and its effect on the nation's commercially-insured population Union leaders join forces to turn the tide on opioids New report examines the opioid crisis over the last five years Read the report Latest News Independence Blue Cross Foundation announces 'Someone You Know,' a public awareness campaign that addresses the stigma of opioid misuse (6/19/18) Drug Story Theater Expands Innovative Addiction Prevention Program For Students To More Than 60 Cities And Towns Across Massachusetts (4/12/18) Blue Cross NC Announces New Opioid Prescription and Treatment Policies (3/29/18) Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama Launching New Opioid Management Strategy to Help Battle Opioid Epidemic in Alabama (3/20/18) Massachusetts Residents Believe the Opioid Epidemic is the Most Serious Problem Facing the State, According to New Poll Released by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (3/12/18) Policy Recommendations BCBS is working with federal and state officials to reform existing laws and provide support to public and private partners who are addressing the opioids challenge in three critical ways: Ensure patients receive the right care in the right setting Provide states with sufficient resources to address the epidemic Address the fraud and abuse that’s harming the people who need help Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Governing Magazine provide practical solutions to mitigate the opioid epidemic for state and local policymakers. Read the Article The episode discusses advancements in neurological science are changing the way experts understand and treat addiction. Learn from some of the country's leading experts what the latest medical research tells us about treating addictive behaviors in men and women. What usually starts innocently enough as taking pain medication appropriately prescribed by a doctor, can turn into a deadly addiction for some. Jennifer Matesa shares her story of the darkest days of her addiction to her recovery. Experts say the heroin epidemic, which is a growing problem nationwide, is largely spurred by people who first become addicted to prescribe opiate pain medications. As the pills become more expensive and harder to obtain, people move on to the cheaper and more potent high that heroin can provide. Cynthia Scudo, grandmother of twenty, shares the story of hip pain that ended with a nine-year addiction to heroin.