LESSONS LEARNED? –
Dec. 25, 2025 – Overdose deaths are falling at a pace the United States has not seen in decades. Centers for Disease Control projections show a nearly 25% decline for the twelve months ending in April 2025. But the meaning of that decline shows up long before it appears in national reports. They happen because public policy finally aligns with evidence and because communities were able to use tools we already know save lives. Whether this progress continues depends on the choices we make now. As we head into 2026, the foundational policies that saved lives this year could disappear before the next holiday season.
Lifesaving tools that have driven the decline remain vulnerable. Medications for opioid use disorder — especially buprenorphine and methadone — cut the risk of death by more than half. Yet for years, federal rules and insurance barriers have kept these treatments out of reach. Even now, many patients face bureaucratic paperwork hurdles, such as prior authorization requirements, which interrupt care and separate patients from necessary prescriptions. States have worked to close these gaps by expanding mobile treatment programs and embedding addiction treatment into primary care, specifically in Texas and Massachusetts.
