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Specialist offers a cheaper drug addiction treatment
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Friday, March 05, 2004
Xazmin Garza
Rehab, or in-patient chemical dependency treatment programs, are expensive. One local doctor, specializing in addiction recovery, has developed a more affordable, convenient rehabilitation program with out-patient treatment.
Dr. Michael Levy, founder and medical director of The Center for Addiction Medicine recently added the six-week out-patient program, "Living in Balance," to his private medical practice located on the west side of the valley. He describes the program as "intense, unobtrusive and inexpensive."
"We're trying to keep people out of the hospital here," says Levy. "Usually these programs are in-patient, but not too many people can afford that and with insurance companies tightening everything, it's hard to even qualify for in-patient these days."
Health insurance companies' conservative budgets have taken their financial toll on all health care consumers, whether in the form of higher premiums, increased co-payments or, where Levy's patients are concerned, stringent, highly-exclusive screenings for in-patient approvals.
While this practice might be disappointing for many in-patient program providers and a good number of their would-be patients as well, it may serve as a window of opportunity for Levy's private medical practice, the only one to specialize locally in addiction medicine.
The addiction specialist provides "Living in Balance" for roughly $3,000, which in comparison with the cost of most in-patient programs ($10,000 - $50,000) doesn't seem like much to fork out. According to Levy, a good number of his patients aren't reaching into their own pockets, anyway. "Insurance is much more likely to cover an out-patient program and most of them do," he says.
When designing the program, Levy intentionally aimed for one based on education and convenience. The former so the patient develops a comprehensive understanding of their disease and the latter to better cater to the lifestyles of many of his patients. A good majority of them are working professionals, who Levy describes as having "higher incomes and higher education levels."
"Our program is like one-stop shopping," he says of "Living in Balance," which is for both adults and minors. "We have everything here from detoxification to medical evaluations, to lab analysis, followed by recommendations."
Fifty percent of Levy's patients are recovering from an addiction to opioid drugs, that is, drugs originally intended to relieve pain. Detoxifying the system from an addiction to this type of drug has recently become much easier now that the drug Buprenorphine, also an opioid, can legally be used for this purpose, something Levy expresses much enthusiasm about and is now utilizing at his center.
This medication substitution, which serves to "trick" the brain into thinking it has the drug the patient is actually ridding himself or herself of when it's really a substitute, is a controversial approach to rehabilitation. Its purpose is to prevent the brain from going into withdrawals. The controversy stems from the fact that, while it makes for a smoother transition, it is still a drug to which a new dependency could be formed.
"You have to be licensed and trained to prescribe Buprenorphine, which is truly a hallmark to those with an opioid dependency," says Levy. "The whole point is to prevent the drug hunger. If you can't relieve the symptoms of withdrawal, then the patient is at high risk for relapse and they won't be able to put the active withdrawal symptoms behind them. We allow patients to detoxify in a safe and respectable way."
Currently, there are 15 patients enrolled with the "Living in Balance" program, 12 of whom are working adults.
"Another advantage we have over in-patient is that most people can't take 30 - 60 days off work and expect to have a job when they get back. Here they have the ability to work and go home to their families at the end of the day."
Clearly, Levy's program isn't for everyone. Patients must take it upon themselves four times a week to visit the center for a combination of individual meetings, group and family therapy sessions. It's a program that requires a firm commitment to recovery throughout the duration of the program without the help of constant monitoring.
Levy clarifies that, while the program is open to all who need treatment as an option for recovery, it may not turn out to be suitable for everyone. "The goal here isn't just to get sober, to stay clean or dry, it's to get back to a high quality of life, which we all want, but it takes choices to create that balance. Just like in-patient programs aren't for everyone, neither is this. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all when it comes to substance abuse recovery treatment."