WellCare Statement in Support of Declaration of Public Health Emergency for Opioids

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) commends the Trump administration on the declaration of the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency and its allowing states more flexibility on how to use federal funds to fight this national health crisis.

As one of the nation's leading providers of managed health care programs including Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, WellCare is working diligently to fight this dangerous epidemic from within the existing healthcare delivery system. We partner with our state customers and the administration to help provide quality, cost-effective health solutions for our more than 4.4 million members across the country.

WellCare recently completed a six-month pilot program in Kentucky, which has one of the highest rates of opioid abuse and overdose deaths in the nation. The program resulted in a decrease in opioid dispensing by approximately 50 percent. Additionally, dispensing of cyclobenzaprine, a common muscle relaxant, decreased by 35 percent, and dispensing of benzodiazepines, a class of psychoactive drugs, decreased by 30 percent. As a result, WellCare will integrate the best practices of this initiative into current programs across our Medicaid markets.

Tackling the opioid epidemic requires multiple approaches including preventing the misuse and abuse of opioids; intervening when members are at risk; supporting them with innovative treatments; collaborating with providers and encouraging appropriate prescribing; and connecting members to needed programs and social services to help them address social or economic barriers that go beyond healthcare.

At WellCare, we are committed to tackling the opioid epidemic and look forward to partnering with our members, providers and government partners to continue to address this dangerous crisis.

SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.