statnews.com - An opioid crisis sweeps through Cherokee Nation

16.12.16

An opioid crisis sweeps through Cherokee Nation: [statnews.com] “The great advantage is that I basically have socialized medicine,” Miller said, though she’s quick to point out the care didn’t come without a cost: “Free is not the right word to use. It’s something that was earned by their ancestors in a treaty.”

Those treaties ensure that patients don’t have copays or deductibles to worry about when they receive medication or behavioral therapy to help wean them off opioids. That lifts a huge financial burden: The Suboxone alone can run hundreds of dollars a month.

At the same time, providers said, because there’s no cost, it can be hard to get patients to fully commit to sticking with the long process of recovery. They don’t lose a lot of money if they decide to drop out.