Milwaukee – A coalition of activists, medical professionals, family of those in the opioid recovery community are holding a press conference to denounce UnitedHealth Care (UHC) for red lining Milwaukee, and failing to support comprehensive treatment for addicts caught in the endless churning of the opioid/heroin epidemic in the city.
Advociad hold a press conference in front of UnitedHealth Care to highlight what the group charges are discriminatory red lining practices by UnitedHealth Care.
“The body count increases every month. As more and more people die from addiction, because they are unable to get proper comprehensive treatment, United Health Care enjoys double digit profits as many die from overdose of heroin/opioids in Milwaukee”, said the group in a press release.
“It appears insurers have been having issues implementing parity according to substance abuse treatment programs. The Parity Law was made with the express purpose that an insured person has equal access to mental health and substance abuse treatment as opposed to other benefits of health insurance. Most Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) in the area are facing difficulty with getting some insurers to cover benefits in substance programs according to what the law should permit”, said attorney Imran Kurter legal counsel for the group.
At the press conference the group will also be announcing the launch of its website highlighting UHC lack of parity for Milwaukee area residents suffering from addiction.
The website: www.unitedforparity.com will be asking for area residents to contact the group regarding their experiences with United Health Care.
The group states that they have been approached by many of those suffering from heroin use seeking help who say the treatment they receive is inadequate. The contends that they’ve been informed by families that most intensive outpatient programs and patients in the area are facing difficulty with getting some insurers to cover benefits in substance programs according to what the law should permit.
The group says that clinics which specialize in treating patients suffering from addiction, specifically opioid use disorders such as pain pill abuse and heroin have been decreasing in Milwaukee while the death rate of heroin overdoses continues to increase.
“We believe that comprehensive care clinics are being closed because big Insurance companies like UnitedHealth Care are red lining. They are denying our inner city residents the right to proper treatment in their own back yards.
Comprehensive care clinics were created for this purpose , to serve the people of their communities in their communities”, Rafael Mercado of the group MKE Heroine Diaries.
Advocaid sent a letter to UnitedHealth Care CEO Dustin Hinton but were disappointed after UHC executive staff member gave a nonchalant bland response indicating business as usual will be conducted.
“In Northern Milwaukee there is only one major state certified outpatient clinic that has the full capacity of services such as intensive services (IOP) with Medication Assisted Treatments (such as Suboxone and Vivitrol), comprehensive case management, psychiatric mental health care (Dual Diagnosis with medication management), AODA groups, individual counseling, and continued outpatient treatment after intensive treatments”, continued Miranda.
“Members of the community are outraged,” says Selahattin Kurter, MD, member of the Advocaid organization. “We have heard from the community involved in addiction that United pulled out of supporting intensive outpatient substance abuse programs for medicaid in early spring 2017. This caused individuals to lose treatment and risked relapses.”
