Nebraska Detox Shortage Putting Lives at Risk

In the midst of an ongoing drug and alcohol epidemic, people in rural Nebraska are being left behind. There are only four detox centers in Nebraska outside of Lincoln and Omaha. Across the state, 62 counties have no addiction recovery centers and no hospital providing outpatient treatment for substance use disorders.

And because of this, the number of lives lost in the state remains appallingly high. 

Nebraska Detox Centers Are Few and Far Between

With only twelve inpatient addiction treatment centers outside of the major metropolitan areas of Omaha and Lincoln, residents are hard pressed to find help when they need it. 

And with only four of these locations providing detox treatment services, those in need of medical support to safely begin recovery are left with few options. 

This detox desert puts barrier after barrier in place for anyone seeking help for addiction. 

Rural and Western Nebraska Face Greatest Impact

Nebraskans living in rural parts of the state often have to travel upwards of 300 miles to seek treatment. Revive Inc, a non-profit addiction treatment provider in Hastings, sometimes receives referrals from towns six hours or more away. 

Needing to travel this extensively for treatment means disconnecting from your existing support system and building a new one while in treatment, only to have to disconnect from that vital support system when you’re ready to return home. 

It can also mean being unable to access crucial extended care services to mitigate the risk of relapse.

Jake Shaddy, who runs a sober living home in Omaha, sees first-hand how difficult and ineffective the current process is. 

Overdose Undercounting Leads to Less Funding for Detox

Although Nebraska has some of the lowest reported overdose rates in the nation, these numbers might not be telling the full story. Public health experts and state officials are saying that overdose fatalities have been chronically underreported, leading to the illusion that rural parts of Nebraska don’t have a drug problem. 

Kristine Kasperbauer, CEO of Revive Inc, says that news of many drug-related deaths are spread through word-of-mouth but they’re not officially included in state government records.

While analyzing data from Centers for Disease Control, Flatwater Free Press found a notable discrepancy between Nebraska’s death rate and nonfatal overdose rate. Since overdose fatality data often drives state and federal funding priorities, the undercounting has led to underfunding.

Limited Medicaid Coverage Decreasing Access to Treatment

In early 2024, Nebraska legislators approved budget cuts of $15 million for behavioral health care spending. This impacted treatment providers and patients alike, further increasing the difficulty of helping those in need. 

Nebraska has a state-level policy that requires addiction treatment providers to give their patients access to methadone but the policy doesn’t extend to insurers providing coverage. Medicaid, for example, doesn’t cover support for behavioral health needs of patients on a medication assisted treatment plan. 

Kasperbauer says that Revive often has to swallow the costs of clients’ treatment after Medicaid denies their claim in order to ensure that patients who need recovery medications actually receive them.

Finding a Nebraska Detox Program

If you live in Nebraska and you’re ready to get help, you do have options. While affordable and high quality care may be found only at a distance, accessing medical withdrawal management could save your life or the life of someone you love. 

Explore detox centers on Detox.com or call 800-996-6135(Sponsored) today.