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OKLAHOMA CITY – A policy change by an Oklahoma insurer led to vulnerable oklahomans being pressured to relapse while seeking addiction treatment in California, according to a report by Oklahoma Watch. The situation highlights a critical gap in local substance abuse treatment access, even as demand rises.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimated that in 2022 and 2023, approximately 145,000 Oklahomans received substance abuse treatment annually. However, another 499,000 Oklahomans in need of treatment did not receive it.
The insurer’s policy shift prompted some Oklahomans to seek treatment out-of-state, specifically in california, where some facilities were considered reputable and offered services unavailable in Oklahoma. But the transition wasn’t seamless for everyone.
Amber Hundley, a former patient, recounted being discharged from a California treatment facility after more than a year of residency due to the policy change. While eligible for insurance coverage in California, she faced immediate housing insecurity. the facility provided her with the contact information for a recruiter who promised placement in another program.
Hundley alleges the recruiter explicitly encouraged her to relapse as a condition of admission to the new program,and even provided funds to purchase alcohol. “It didn’t take very long until we’d gone out and gotten some other substances,” Hundley said.
Hundley is now sober and works in the recovery field.She credits the California treatment experience, despite it’s challenges, with enabling her recovery. “For the majority of people that I know,especially from Oklahoma and from other states as well,being able to attain sobriety wasn’t something that was possible for us at home,” she stated.
the situation underscores the limited capacity of Oklahoma’s addiction treatment infrastructure to meet the needs of its population. The state consistently ranks
