
The COVID-19 pandemic is shaking up America’s approach to addiction treatment, but the fallout hasn’t been all bad, experts say. In-person support meetings either aren’t happening or have been severely curtailed, and addiction centers are facing financial ruin because folks are too afraid of the coronavirus to seek treatment. But paradoxically, people might have better access to addiction treatment than ever before, thanks to the shift to telemedicine across all health care. “Ultimately, I think this will rebound, but not like before,” Fred Muench, president of the Partnership to End Addiction, said of the future of addiction treatment. Muench sees telemedicine as the way to ensure the financial survival of the U.S. network of addiction providers. “We will see the greatest changes in outpatient care, which will truly be a hybrid,” Muench said. “In the future, you will not have to be a telehealth provider to treat digitally — all treatment will have a telehealth component. If not, it will cease to exist. Providers cannot afford to wait to integrate telehealth.” COVID-19 lockdowns forced organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous to shift to web video meetings or teleconferences for their support groups. The pandemic also caused many treatment centers to cut back on their services. More than nine out of 10 addiction centers said they cut back their programs during the lockdown, furloughing or laying off employees,… read on >