Nationwide Travel Assistance

Local shouldn’t limit lifesaving care. Traveling can provide privacy, separation from triggers, and access to more comprehensive, evidence-based options that may not exist nearby.

• Access varies dramatically by location. In 2022, 30.1% of rural U.S. counties had no buprenorphine-prescribing clinician (and 41.3% of small/remote rural counties had none), compared with 10.4% of urban counties.
• Historically, about 80% of U.S. counties lacked an OTP (the only setting that can dispense methadone), underscoring how uneven access has been across the map.
• In high-overdose rural states, typical drive times to the nearest OTP averaged ~37 minutes overall and ~41–49 minutes in rural counties—often daily trips without concierge support.
• Stigma and privacy matter. Among adults who thought they should get treatment but didn’t, 46.1% were worried about what people would think or say—traveling out of area can protect dignity and privacy.
• Most people who need help aren’t getting it. In 2022, among people with a past-year substance use disorder (SUD), 85.1% did not receive treatment; only 24% of those who needed treatment received it. Removing barriers like logistics can change that.
• Environment influences relapse risk. A large meta-analysis links drug cues and craving to later use and relapse—creating distance from people/places associated with use can help reduce cue exposure. (Inference from evidence.)
• Outside of local limitations, evidence-based medications are underused. For alcohol use disorder, only ~2.1% of adults receive medication treatment in a given year—traveling for specialized care can increase access.