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For the past few years, insurance carriers have been trying to address the opioid crisis with campaigns targeting inpatient and outpatient programs, mental health counseling, etc. But more recently, efforts have focused on prevention as opioid awareness has grown. Opioid-related deaths have precipitated a host of lawsuits against drug manufacturers and the addiction treatment industry is booming. UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has a new focus, dental care, in a more recent effort to address the opioid epidemic. Analysis from UHC found that dentists prescribe around 12% of opioids nationwide – and they prescribe 54% of the opioids that end up being dispensed …

… competitors. There is no question that consumers will be the ultimate beneficiaries as the hubs will likely provide them with improved experiences. One Medical was a pioneer in the movement to “luxurize” the primary care experience and early indications are that these new entrants are investing heavily in providing an enhanced customer experience. But how this benefits the healthcare economy will ultimately depend on the effectiveness of these hubs to reduce spending by providing single points of care for additional services (preventive, pharmacy, etc.) and driving more efficiencies in the subsequent steerage to lower cost/higher quality specialists and facilities.