UP
UP QUITE
UP QUITE LIKE OUR OWN CHRIS. >> WE ARE TAKING A CLOSER
LOOK AT A FIX FOR OPIOID
DEPENDANTS.
DEPENDANTS. >> JUST ONE SHOT AND THE DESIRE
TO USE OPIOIDS VANISHES FOR A
MONTH.
MONTH.
MONTH. >>
MONTH. >> ON STREETS DESPERATE FOR
CURES, A DRUG NO LONGER IN NEED
OF A MARKETING CAMPAIGN OFFERS
HOPE.
HOPE.
HOPE. >>
HOPE. >> ONE SHOT, ONCE A MONTH AND
NOT ADDICTIVE.
NOT ADDICTIVE. >> ONCE A MONTH SHOT.
>> EACH ONE A SUCCESS STORY
OF ONE TIME INMATES WITH NAMES
LIKE PATRICK AND GREG RI AND
CHASE FROM OHIO.
OUR STORY BEGINS WITH A
28-YEAR-OLD INMATE.
28-YEAR-OLD INMATE. >> BEEN HERE ALMOST FOUR MONTHS.
>> FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY
COLORADO.
COLORADO.
COLORADO. >> YOU GETTING OUT TOMORROW?
>> GETTING OUT TOMORROW.
>> 17 MUGSHOTS CAPTURE MANY OF
JUSTIN SINGER'S BAD DAYS.
THEY READILY TELL YOU HE'S A
HEROIN ADDICT.
HEROIN ADDICT. >> ADDICTION WILL KILL ME IF I
DON'T STOP.
DON'T STOP. >> HE IS THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF
THE COUNTY JAIL'S VOLUNTARY
INJECTION PROGRAM.
INJECTION PROGRAM. >> IT HURT A LITTLE BIT BUT I
WENT GREAT
WENT GREAT >> APPROVED IN THE U.S. TO TREAT
OPIOID ADDICTION IN 2010.
IT OFFERED SINGER A CHANCE.
>> I WILL TAKE IT AS LONG AS GOD
NEEDS ME TO TO GET MY LIFE BACK
ON TRACK.
ON TRACK.
ON TRACK. >> IT WORKS BY PREVENTING USERS
FROM GETTING HIGH FOR 28 DAYS.
ITS MAKER ROUTINELY OFFERS
INMATES IN VARIOUS FACILITIES
THE FIRST SHOT FOR FREE.
IN COLORADO WE FOUND AT LEAST
324 INMATES HAVE SIGNED UP SO
FAR.
FAR.
FAR. >>
FAR. >> I
FAR. >> I THINK THEY WILL SAVE LIVES.
I REALLY DO.
IT WILL SAVE MY LIFE.
>> AND THAT'S WHERE MOST TV NEWS
STORIES ON IT END.
ADDICT RECEIVES FREE SHOT,
ADDICT LEAVES JAIL, ALL IS WELL
WITH THE WORLD.
BUT USERS REQUIRE MORE THAN JUST
ONE SHOT OF IT AND THOSE SHOTS
RUN UPWARDS OF $1,200 A POP.
9 WANTS TO KNOW, WHO PAYS FOR
THE SECOND SHOT OR THE THIRD OR
THE TENTH?
THE TENTH? >> IT'S A BRILLIANT BUSINESS
STRATEGY WHERE YOU PROVIDE THE
FIRST SHOT FOR FREE AND THEN
INSURANCE IS BILLED FOR EACH
SUBSEQUENT SHOT.
SUBSEQUENT SHOT. >> HE KNOWS PRECISELY WHO IS
PICKING UP THE TAB.
HECK, SINGER EVEN TOLD US.
>> YOU GOT A WAY TO PAY FOR THIS
NOW, TOO IN.
>> MEDICAID PAYS FOR IT.
>> GOVERNMENT RUN, GOVERNMENT
FUNDED MEDICAID.
FUNDED MEDICAID. >> DOING NOTHING IS NOT AN
OPTION.
OPTION.
OPTION. >> IF IT KEEPS THEM CLEAN AND
THEN THEY ARE DONE BEING AN
ADDICT, THIS IS PENNIES ON THE
DOLLAR.
DOLLAR.
DOLLAR. >> BUT EVEN PENNIES ADD UP.
WE FOUND IT JUMPED FROM $118,000
IN 2013 TO $7.9 MILLION LAST
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. MORE THAN 6500% INCREASE.
>> DOES THAT SEEM LIKE A
SIZEABLE INCREASE TO YOU?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> KATHY WORKS FOR THE STATE.
HER JOB IS TO MOVED MONITOR WHAT
COLORADO'S MEDICAID PROGRAM
SPENDS ON ALL PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS.
DRUGS.
DRUGS. >>
DRUGS. >> A LOT MORE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT
IT BUT THAT DOESN'T ANSWER THE
WHOLE QUESTION.
WHOLE QUESTION. >> THEY SEND FRIENDLY CHATTY
E-MAILS LIKE THIS ONE WE FOUND
THROUGH AN OPEN RECORD REST
QUEST IN BOULDER COUNTY.
OUR INTERACTIONS ARE ETHICAL,
RESPONSIBLE AND COMPLIANT.
>> HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THEIR
AGGRESSIVENESS?
AGGRESSIVENESS? WERE THEY AGGRESSIVE?
>>
>>
>> [
>> [ LAUGHTER ]
UM --
UM --
UM -- [
UM -- [ LAUGHTER ]
THEY --
THEY --
THEY -- >> THAT SOME LIKE AN ANSWER.
FEDERAL LAW MAN DATES MEDICAID
PROGRAMS MUST PAY FOR IT AND BOY
IS IT PAYING.
$200 MILLION IN 2017 ALONE.
MAYBE THAT'S ALL WORTH IT.
WE ASK THE PROFESSOR
>> I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THIS
MEDICATION THAT -- MAKES IT --
REASONABLE FOR IT TO COST $1,200
A SHOT.
A SHOT.
A SHOT. >> TO BE CLEAR, HE DOESN'T SAY
ITS INEFFECTIVE, HE JUST KNOW
WHAT THE WEBSITE SHOWS THAT ITS
NO MORE EFFECTIVE THAN A LESS
EXPENSIVE MORE STEADY FORM OF
OPIOID ADDICTION TREATMENT.
IT STILL RESULTS IN MORE
RELAPSES THAN NOT.
>> THERE ARE PROS AND CONS FOR
EACH ONE OF THE MEDICATION
OPTIONS.
OPTIONS.
OPTIONS. IT HAS TO BE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR
THAT PATIENT INVOLVED.
>> WENDY IS ON A TEAM THAT
ADMINISTERS THE SHOTS INSIDE
MANY COLORADO JAILS.
SHE BELIEVES IN IT.
HAS SEEN IT WORK.
>> EMPOWERMENT TO BE ON THEIR
OWN TO GET RELEASED FROM THAT
MONSTER WITHIN.
MONSTER WITHIN. >> HE SAID HE EXPECTED HIS
ADDICTION TO KILL HIM.
>> BUT IN SOME CASES LONG AFTER
THE CAMERAS AND REPORTERS LEAVE,
THAT MONSTER RETURNS.
REMEMBER GREGORY?
REMEMBER GREGORY? WE FOUND THIS REARRESTED A YEAR
LATER.
LATER.
LATER. JORDAN PROFILED NATIONALLY
REARRESTED TWO YEARS LATER.
ALICIA REARRESTED.
ALICIA REARRESTED. AS FOR PATRICK AND CHASE, BOTH
DIED FROM OVERDOSES NOT LONG
AFTER THEIR TV NEWS PROFILES.
AS FOR JUSTIN SINGER, TWO MONTHS
AFTER OUR FIRST INTERVIEW WE
FOUND HIM AGAIN.
>> I GO AT DUI, I GOT A
POSSESSION CHARGE CAUSE I DID
HAVE LITTLE BIT OF
METHAMPHETAMINE ON ME.
>> THIS TIME IN THE WELD COUNTY
JAIL FACING A NEW DRUG CASE.
>> I'M AN ADDICT AND -- WE ARE
GOING TO HAVE RELAPSES AND STUFF
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. >> HIS SUCCESS STORY NOT MUCH OF
A SUCCESS.
A SUCCESS. AT LEAST NOT YET.
>> LETS PUT IT LIKE THIS, UM --
I DID HEROIN FOR TEN YEARS
AND -- ITS SOMETHING THAT I WILL
PROBABLY TAKE JUST AS LONG FOR
ME TO GET OUT OF.
>> GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF COST WE
FOUND THOSE ALTERNATIVES ONLINE
FOR CLOSE TO $60 FOR A MONTH
SUPPLY.
SUPPLY.
SUPPLY. THOSE DRUGS WORK DIFFERENTLY AND
THERE ARE ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES TO BOTH.
MEDICAID IS NOW SPENDING A FEW
HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ON A
DRUG THEY HAVE SPENT FAR TOO
LITTLE TIME FOLLOWING UP ON.
>> IT'S ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHING.
EVERYBODY WANTS THESE PEOPLE TO
GET HELP AND YOU WANT OUR MONEY
TO BE SPENT WELL.
YOU DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THEM
COZYING UP TO JAIL OFFICIALS.
>> WE ARE ALL DESPERATE FOR A
SOLUTION HERE.
SOLUTION HERE. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> THE PROBLEM IS IN THAT
DESPERATION ARE WE GOING TO
SOLUTIONS THAT ARE COSTLY AND
MAYBE NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS THOSE
LESS EXPENSIVE