From Psychedelics to Weight-Loss Drugs: Examining New Approaches to SUD Treatment

When Peter Loeb co-founded Lionrock Recovery in 2010, the business of treating substance use disorders (SUDs) was very different. SUDs were stigmatized as taboo addictions, drug laws were stricter and models like Lion Rock charging clients for telehealth visits had not started. At the same time, there were fewer acute problems around SUDs – the […]

SUD Executive Forecast: Regulation, Primary Care Integration, ‘Clash with Payers’ Will Shape 2024

Despite the strong growth potential in the substance use disorder (SUD) treatment space, providers faced stiff headwinds in 2023, including rising patient acuity, access obstacles and shifting regulatory frameworks. Some of these challenges will continue to present problems for SUD treatment providers in 2024, but the new year will also bring significant opportunities, industry insiders […]

‘Unexpected and Alarming’: Concern Grows as One of the Country’s Largest Insurers Pulls Back on Virtual IOPs, PHPs

Virtual intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) have become a popular way to care for patients in their homes. IOPs provide an intermediate level of care and can be a step-down from inpatient services and a step-up from traditional outpatient care. Virtual IOPs became sought after during the COVID-19 pandemic because of their ability to treat patients […]

Why Financial Incentives Could Be the Next Big Thing in Addiction Treatment

The regulatory environment may be shifting to allow contingency management — a well-researched but underutilized care tactic — to become a vital tool in improving care and performance outcomes in addiction treatment. If that happens, contingency management could also turn into a vital tool to address the rising number of stimulant-related overdoses and deaths in […]

Digital Substance Abuse Treatment Startups Captivate Investors, Payers

In America today, the need for more substance use disorder (SUD) interventions is clear. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses, and the alcohol-related death rate was twice what it was 20 years earlier. Those statistics don’t include nearly 20 million others who did not die but still battled SUD that year. […]