Page 28 - Sonoma County Gazette - January 2020

Getting to Healthcare for All
An Open Discussion with Local Health Professionals & Community Experts on
How WE Get There.
Our current healthcare “system” is overpriced, underperforming and inequitable. As health professionals and community activists in Sonoma County, we believe that bold, meaningful changes are desperately needed.
Our costs are by far the highest in the world and we don’t adequately cover everyone. More than 1⁄2 million people go bankrupt from medical bills each year, and most of those people have some form of insurance!
But, do we get good value? Reliable measures of quality show that 33 countries have better quality of care than we do. The care in most of those countries produces better results, is more efficient, less error-prone, and removes cost as a barrier to care
Telemedicine used to Fight Opioid Addiction
Why are costs so high and the quality so low? Corporations extract billions of dollars a year in profits and redirect resources to fund administrators, rather than care.
Last year, 66.1 million American workers separated from their jobs, losing their job-based insurance. We all deserve lifelong, seamless coverage, ending the disruptive churn of job-based plans.
By Dr. Anish Shah, Siyan Clinical Research
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), opioid overdoses
Our current system is unsustainable. Where do we go from here?
stand at the top of the list of injury-related deaths in the US. To date, New Hampshire, West Virginia, and New Mexico are identified as having the most severe opioid problem and the problem is growing in Northern California.
• Public Option?
• Medicare for All?
• How would we pay for it?
• What would it mean for me?
Opioid use has been rising in North Bay Counties. Options for treating the growing problem of opioid addiction are somewhat scarce due to a limited number of treatment facilities and the availability of qualified clinicians. One promising solution to deal with this growing crisis is the use of telehealth and telemedicine.
We will lead an open discussion with health professionals and community activists that will examine how it is done in other countries, honestly explore the pros and cons of the current options in the U.S. and offer a menu of action steps.
Telemedicine, or the delivery of health care using telecommunications technology, has the excellent potential to expand access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) programs, especially in underserved and rural areas. It offers the advantage of providing remote provision for direct-to-patient and specialty consultation services.
Saturday, February 8 9:30-noon Odd Fellows Hall, 545 Pacific Ave, Santa Rosa
Support for Patients and Communities Act, defines special provisions for Medicare and Medicaid to allow for telemedicine options for treatment. The law addresses telemedicine use and elaborates that states shall be able to seek federal reimbursement under Medicaid for telemedicine services of substance abuse disorders. Approved services include medication assisted treatment, counseling, medication management, and medication adherence.
Hosted by
Co Sponsored by
Indivisible Sonoma County Indivisible Petaluma
Indivisible Healdsburg Indivisible Cloverdale
North Bay Organizing Project Sonoma County for Single Payer Santa Rosa Teachers Association Staff Nurses Association Democratic Club of
Southern Sonoma Co.
Sonoma Valley Democrats
CA Alliance for Retired Americans
Healdsburg Progressive Alliance Physicians for a National
Health Program
CA Physicians Alliance
North Bay Labor Council
Peace and Justice Center
Wine Country Young Democrats Sonoma County Latino
Democratic Club
National Union of Healthcare Workers Green Party of Sonoma County Redwood Forest Friends Meeting
Telehealth can play a vital role in addressing opioid misuse and abuse and reduce the number of opioid-related deaths. It allows for virtual management of several aspects of substance use disorder for patients, their families, and the care providers. Telemedicine can also improve data sharing, thereby preventing multiple prescriptions from multiple physicians for highly addictive drugs. Most importantly, telehealth can serve more patients as the treatment is remote and in the privacy of a patient’s home.
While there have been several advancements on the application and utilization of telehealth as far as the regulatory perspective is concerned, the acceptance level of telehealth still remains low. This is partly because of the lack of awareness and the challenge can be overcome by providing specialized training to the existing staff at the treatment centers as well as creating awareness among the general public.
As telemedicine becomes more widely accepted by physicians, patients, and the medical insurance industry, it has the potential to expand needed services to remote and rural areas. With this expansion, patients in isolated remote areas will benefit from the innovative telehealth program which guarantees patient confidentiality.
Our ONLINE Edition is UPDATED all month @ SonomaCountyGazette.com
For additional help with understanding the ability of telehealth programs to treat opioid addictions go to hopemat.org
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