Ideal Option is proud to have many patients who are veterans. We work with veteran communities to expand access to low-barrier treatment options for veterans battling opioid use disorder (OUD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and addiction to other substances. As one of the only medication-assisted treatment (MAT) that accepts TRICARE, TRICARE East, and TriWest in many places, Ideal Option provides much needed services for veterans suffering from the disease of addiction.
Research shows that veterans are more susceptible and disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic and have higher rates of opioid use disorder compared to civilians:
- Veterans experience opioid abuse rates 7-times higher than civilians
- Following combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, there was a 55% increase in the rate of opioid use disorder among veterans
- 61% of incarcerated veterans met criteria for substance use disorders
- Veterans’ rate of overdose deaths from all opioids increased by 65% from 2010 to 2016
Despite an acute need, veterans have historically been faced with limited options when it comes to addiction treatment.
What many people – including veterans – don’t know is that with the VA Mission Act of 2018, veterans can now seek and receive care from addiction medicine providers outside of the VA system. The VA Mission Act of 2018 was established to streamline the process for veterans to receive care from providers outside the VA system, while still be covered by TRICARE, TRICARE East, or TriWest. Even so, options are extremely limited, and waiting periods can be as long as 30 days. Ideal Option does not have wait lists and new patients can be seen on the same day or within 24 hours.
Ideal Option currently serves many veterans in each of the 10 states we are located in and the number of veterans treated continues to grow as awareness of the VA Mission Act increases. With future partnerships with the VA and targeted outreach to veteran communities, the number of veterans treated will rise significantly. By accepting TRICARE, TRICARE East, or TriWest insurance and not having any wait lists for treatment, Ideal Option differentiates itself from many other addiction treatment programs that do not accept veteran insurance.
To find out more about Ideal Option or to make an appointment, visit www.idealoption.com, call 1-877-522-1275, or email hello@idealoption.net.