Addiction rates for Americans continue to remain high and are climbing for certain substances following a spike in usage during the pandemic, but the number of people seeking help to stop abusing drugs and alcohol is abysmal in comparison, statistics show.

In 2024, 48.4 million people aged 12 or older in the United States were identified as having a substance use disorder in the past year, according to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

But only about 1 in 5, or 10.2 million people, received substance use treatment in the past year, according to the report.

To improve the odds, a nonprofit organization, the National Alliance for Comprehensive Addiction Treatment Solutions, formed in July 2024 with a Colorado-based addiction treatment network as one of the founding members. The goal: “to advance evidence-based addiction care across the United States.”

“The awareness of substance use disorder treatment is very low, and the need for improving it is great,” said Doug Weiss, CEO of Fort Collins-headquartered Porch Light Health, a founding member. “The return on investment of providing outpatient medications for addiction treatment is very high.”

The organization, composed of nine for-profit addiction providers across the nation, is calling for “the use of comprehensive addiction treatment that includes medical care, behavioral health care and social support, through in-person and telehealth services,” according to its website.

“It costs much less to treat people with substance use disorder than not treat them,” Weiss said.

For example, some studies conclude that treating people with opioid addiction saves nearly $300,000 per person in associated costs such as emergency room trips, he said.

But many people don’t believe the treatment will work, Weiss said, which is where the organization comes in.

“By forming the organization, we generate awareness. We speak with a louder voice, and because of that, people are more likely to listen to us, including the payers,” he said. “In raising awareness, we’re able to tell patients and payers what happens, and we’re able to promote evidence-based treatment.”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recognizes October as National Substance Use and Misuse Prevention Month and produces the annual survey on drug use and health.

Members in the new industry alliance represent 166,000 patients at 550 locations in 28 states.

Porch Light Health is the only member that’s based in Colorado; the company has 60 locations statewide and seven in New Mexico.

The 200 employees at the Porch Light outpatient treatment center in Colorado Springs provide detox and withdrawal services, medication, counseling and psychiatric care, along with companion medical oversight, Weiss said.

The industry alliance has not yet generated statistics, but Porch Light’s model of low-barrier, high-access to addiction medications shows patients report a 45% decrease in drug-use days in the first month and a 55% drop in alcohol-use days in the first month.

The success is even higher for heavy alcohol drinkers, with an 80% reduction in drinking days in the first month, Weiss said.

And 91% of patients return to stable employment and self-sufficient living, which vastly improves their quality of life.  

“The impact is profound; we can prove it works,” Weiss said. However, “If individuals don’t know to believe it’ll work, you’re not going to solve the problem.”

Addiction is usually a response to emotional or physical pain that does not go away with substance use but worsens, he said.

Stigma continues to be a big factor in people being reluctant to seek treatment.

“The image in society is the reason,” Weiss said. “It’s also that patients themselves are not comfortable talking about their addictions.”

A survey by Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration determined that 66% of respondents said they didn’t feel comfortable talking with their health care providers, with nearly 60% citing the cost of treatment as a reason for not seeking professional assistance and 43% saying they didn’t think their insurance would cover treatment.

Medicaid is the largest payer for substance use disorder treatment in Colorado, Weiss said, and providers are worried about impending changes in the system.

“Overall, payers are changing the game. They’re reducing what is paid, primarily through national cuts and also putting up administrative hurdles to get care,” Weiss said.

The organization is creating an evidence-based care model, along with quantification of patient outcomes, he said.

The industry alliance also is developing a bundle of services to help states and the federal government set budgets for substance use disorder treatment, as well as commercial insurance payers to use for reimbursing providers for care.

“We’re trying to address the issue on both sides,” Weiss said. “If we know that treatment works and it has a positive return, why isn’t everyone getting treated? The organization is advocating for access, reimbursement for services, and measuring and standards for treating substance use disorders.”