The epidemic of opioid misuse and abuse is having a profound economic impact on the healthcare system. In just five years, the claims charged to insurance companies to treat opioid dependence or abuse grew from $72 million to $722 million — an increase of almost 1,000%, according to Optum. The Rising Costs of Opioid Abuse to Health Payers A 2015 study of privately billed services found private payers’ average costs for a patient diagnosed with opioid abuse or dependence were more than 550% higher—almost $16,000 more per patient—than the per-patient average cost based on all patients’ claims. Opioid Abuse Costs Payers Up to $16,000 Per Patient Per Year In 2015, the per-patient charge average (across all diagnoses and all claim types for all patients in the dataset) was $11,404. The per-patient average total charge for a patient identified with an opioid abuse or dependence diagnosis for the same year was $63,356.  With respect to the amounts that are allowed by the insurance companies on a per-patient basis, the difference was 563%: the per-patient average allowed amount for all patients was $3,435 compared to the ...

A phone call is made to a Poison Control center in the United States once every 14 seconds. It’s a call that no parent wants to make and many go to great lengths to avoid. Yet accidental childhood poisoning is more common than you think. In 1962, President John F Kennedy proclaimed the third week of March to be National Poison Prevention Week. In honor of Poison Prevention Week, here are some facts that you need to know about poisonings, and tips on keeping your kids and family safe at home. Poisoning Is The Leading Cause Of Injury Death In The U.S. In 2017, poison control centers received 2.1 million phone calls. That’s a call to a poison control center approximately every 12 seconds. The youngest members of the household are at the greatest risk for poisoning inside the home. Young children (under six) account for almost half of all poison control calls. The National Center of Health Statistics has stated that poisoning is the leading cause of injury death in the U.S. Drugs, both prescription and illicit, cause the vast majority of poisoning deaths. Drugs And Medications Are The #1 Cause ...

The State of Indiana is making substance abuse treatment safer for patients amidst COVID-19 concerns with the help of Gatekeeper Innovation Inc.’s Safer Lock Box. In Indiana, officials say more than 10,000 patients visit opioid treatment programs each day for opioid recovery and treatment at a designated opioid treatment program. Many patients require daily visits. Indiana Uses Safer Lock Box To Prevent Spread Of Coronavirus The U.S. has been boosting measures to combat coronavirus. As of March 17, 2020, The White House has urged citizens to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people and the government has called for the closures of gyms, bars, restaurants, and other venues in states with local coronavirus transmission. Indiana is taking steps to protect its residents from the unnecessary risks involved in traveling to a crowded addiction treatment clinic for daily treatment amidst the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Gatekeeper Innovation Inc.’s Safer Lock Box is helping them to do just that. The Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction, in partnership with Overdose Lifeline, is providing take-home Naltrexone kits secured in a Safer Lock Box for opioid treatment programs during the ...

On March 25, 2020, Gatekeeper Innovation, Inc., announced that Kevin Kane joined the Sacramento, CA company as CEO and member of the Board of Directors. “Kevin Kane brings essential experience to Gatekeeper Innovation, Inc.,” explains outgoing CEO Kim Box. “Kevin’s leadership skills are essential for this point in our journey. He has led many technology companies to double-digit growth, increasing shareholder value resulting in multiple liquidity events over his 25-year career. Kevin’s experience in the healthcare vertical includes launching a joint venture with an electronic health record (EHR) SaaS offering for a multi-billion healthcare organization, which fits well with our product roadmap as we expand into the digital locking cap space in order to address medication adherence and analytics.” As the company plans for explosive growth and integration into healthcare systems, Ms. Box will remain as President and Board member. Commenting on his new role, Mr. Kane explains, “The mission of Gatekeeper Innovation is simple: Help save lives by preventing prescription drug abuse and accidental poisonings. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, thousands of Americans abuse prescription drugs every day, and ...