Trump’s drug czar: Permanently expand telehealth to help addicts
Despite Central Florida’s dramatic rise in drug overdoses since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the man known as the nation’s “drug czar” said Tuesday in Orlando that a “silver lining” could come of this historically troubled time — a permanent expansion of telehealth to reach people struggling with substance abuse.
Jim Carroll, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the federal government’s push to expand coverage for online visits — which have increased sharply during the pandemic —– will improve access to treatment, especially for rural Americans.
“I think there’s going to be some silver linings,” Carroll said. “We’re starting [the expansion] now to see if that’s something we should continue past the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Carroll was in Orlando Tuesday to attend a forum held by Victoria’s Voice Foundation, created by time-share mogul David Siegel and his wife, Jackie, in memory of their oldest child, who died of a drug overdose in 2015. David Siegel said he wanted the discussion to bring change.
“I’ve been on a number of … task forces,” he said. “All we ever do is talk. Months later, I don’t see any action.”
But Carroll noted that President Donald Trump last month issued an executive order to direct federal agencies to work together on fortifying the infrastructure needed to support telehealth in rural communities. The effort could increase access not only for drug treatment but for other types of health care as well.
The expansion of those services beyond the current pandemic, however, will require a vote by Congress. But most providers have backed the change.
At Aspire Health Partners in Central Florida, the region’s largest nonprofit behavioral health care provider, telehealth visits have soared during pandemic.
“While COVID has devastated our communities and many of our families, it has brought about enhanced telehealth services for some of our most vulnerable populations,” said Babette Hankey, Aspire’s president and CEO. “Prior to COVID, our telehealth services averaged 4,500 services a month. Now, we are averaging over 20,000 services per month with higher levels of engagement and significantly reduced no-show rates.”
That comes as Orange and Seminole counties reported overdose increases of 46 and 65 percent, respectively, so far this year, compared to the same months in 2019.
It also comes as federal authorities have made some extensive drug seizures, Carroll noted. In June, the U.S. Coast Guard hauled in 23,000 pounds of cocaine and 6,900 pounds of marijuana interdicted in international waters. And in the past 11 months, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have intercepted some 4,000 pounds
of fentanyl, a drug so deadly that only a few grains are required to shut down the human respiratory system.
Still, Carroll noted, more work has yet to be done, including potential changes to allow Medicaid to cover drug treatment for inmates and increased flexibility for physicians who want to offer medically-assisted treatment to their patients.
And access to affordable treatment continues to be a barrier. The Trump administration pushed for the creation of findtreatment.gov, a website to anonymously link those seeking help to treatment providers, but there are relatively few options for uninsured individuals who can’t afford to pay out of pocket.