Three years into a partnership to provide health services for 2,500 Hoosiers with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), MDwise, part of Grand Blanc, Mich.-based McLaren Health Care, and Groups Recover Together have significantly outpaced national success measures.
Claims data for 2,500 MDwise members with OUD was analyzed by CWH Advisors, an independent healthcare management consulting firm. The analysis revealed that:
- 78% of the studied MDwise members attend weekly group therapy, compared to 25% of individuals with OUD nationally.
- 68% remain in treatment at six months, nearly three times the national average of 25%. (Six-month retention is a key clinical benchmark in substance use disorder because it is closely tied to lower rates of relapse and overdose.)
- The total cost of care for members was $443 less per member per month compared to standard medication-only OUD treatment.
The successful Groups treatment program includes outpatient medications and multiple touchpoints with individuals each week, including regular group sessions, counselor check-ins, prescriber visits, recovery support specialist outreach, and holistic care navigation. These encounters support the member throughout treatment and connect him or her to housing, transportation, additional medical care, and more. With these wrap-around services, Groups addresses health and environmental needs and lowers reliance on high-cost emergency care.
“Groups’ holistic approach to opioid use disorder treatment matches MDwise’s focus on delivering whole-person, high-quality care for Medicaid beneficiaries, especially in rural areas of Indiana,” said Jessica Cromer, CEO of MDwise. “Together, we’re addressing the whole member rather than focusing just on the addiction.”
“Groups’ clinical and financial outcomes are a result of the value-based partnerships we create with health plans,” said Rachel Sokol, SVP of Payer Partnerships at Groups Recover Together. “We’re empowered to do what is best for the member rather than what delivers the highest reimbursement. As a result, we can invest in support systems that keep members out of high-cost settings.”
Groups serves MDwise members through its 35 Indiana offices, many of which are in rural and historically underserved markets. Providing rapid access to members engages them in treatment in the narrow window of time in which they are ready to seek care. Creating a supportive community keeps them active in treatment and makes sure they have the tools to sustain their recovery. With this proven success, Groups and MDwise are committed to bringing this care model to additional members.
“The opioid epidemic continues to be one of the most critical health issues facing our country today,” said Dr. Justin Klamerus, McLaren Health Care Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer. “A real impact can be made through community-based programs, and this is an effort that should be applauded for the measure of good it can provide their members and community.”
“I am grateful that I have never had to do this alone,” said one MDwise member who wishes to remain anonymous. “Groups is a very uplifting program for recovering addicts. I never feel judged, which was one of the main things I was afraid of! You can tell that they actually care about their members. That means a lot to me. It's like a big group of friends.”
About MDwise
MDwise is an Indiana-licensed nonprofit health maintenance organization offering healthcare benefits to more than 410,000 Hoosier Healthwise, Healthy Indiana Plan and Medicare members. Since 1994 MDwise has provided access to compassionate, high-quality, coordinated healthcare and education to Medicaid and Medicare members in communities throughout Indiana. Ninety-seven percent of MDwise members surveyed would recommend MDwise to family and friends. MDwise.org.
About Groups Recover Together
Groups Recover Together currently operates in 17 states and plans to expand to another seven in 2023. In each market, Groups replicates its high-fidelity clinical model including outpatient MOUD, weekly group therapy, and wraparound care management. This unique clinical model delivers attendance, abstinence and six-month retention rates that are well above the national average for OUD. Groups is able to provide industry-leading care because of its focus on value-based contracting. Over 90% of Groups’ contracts are value-based with many tied explicitly to six-month retention. Learn more at joingroups.com.
About McLaren Health Care
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $6.6 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 13 hospitals in Michigan, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 732,838 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of only 53 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. McLaren has 28,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 113,000 network providers throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Learn more at mclaren.org.
Press Contacts:
Groups Recover Together: Press@joingroups.com
MDwise: Jen Thomas, 317-441-2487, jen@jtprinc.com