For the report, USAFacts reviewed federal data on overdose deaths, drug addiction and prescription rates — among other metrics — from law enforcement, public health and substance abuse agencies.
About 2.1 million people reported using heroin or opioid painkillers in 2017. Of these, only 32 percent sought treatment.
Cost was the biggest barrier to patients getting treatment. Forty-one percent of individuals said they lacked health insurance, it did not cover addiction treatment or they could not afford their portion of the cost, according to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
The data suggests increasing access to addiction treatment should be a main priority in addressing the nation’s opioid crisis.
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