Diagnoses of opioid use disorder (OUD) have soared across the United States since the pandemic, according to new data shared with Axios. The figures show a nearly 40% nationwide increase between 2021 and 2024, with some states reporting rates that have more than doubled.
FAIR Health’s Opioid Tracker found that 539 Americans per 100,000 were diagnosed with OUD in 2024. That is up from 386 per 100,000 three years earlier. Experts say the sharp rise shows the crisis now cuts across demographics and income levels. Health systems and insurers are under mounting pressure to manage addiction treatment as the crisis grows.
Ohio recorded one of the steepest increases. The number of commercially insured patients diagnosed with OUD there more than doubled over three years. In 2021, the state reported 383 diagnoses per 100,000 residents. By 2024, the figure had jumped to 815, far above the national average.
Most patients diagnosed in Ohio were men. The largest share was between ages 41 and 50, followed by those aged 31 to 40 and 51 to 65.
Georgia also saw steady increases year after year. The state reported 379 diagnoses per 100,000 in 2021. That rose to 481 per 100,000 in 2024. Most patients were between their 30s and mid-60s. Men made up a slight majority.
Georgia’s rate remains lower than nearby states such as Tennessee and West Virginia. Those states reported 1,447 and 1,323 diagnoses per 100,000, respectively. But the overall upward trend remains clear.
Treatment methods are also shifting. Traditional in-office visits accounted for 43.8% of OUD care claims in 2021. By 2024, that dropped to 38.6%. Telehealth appointments increased from 4.3% to 6.3%. Nonresidential treatment facilities grew from just 1% of claims to 9%.
The costs of the crisis are staggering. A 2022 report from Franklin County Public Health estimated that opioid addiction cost the local economy billions of dollars. Lost productivity alone totaled around $2 billion. The report also cited $203 million in lost federal tax payments and $40 million in lost state revenue.
Some states are preparing to use settlement funds from lawsuits against drugmakers to fight the crisis. Georgia expects up to $20 million from recent agreements. The state says the money will go toward prevention programs and addiction treatment.
Public health officials warn that the financial toll is only part of the picture. The rapid rise in OUD diagnoses since 2021 shows how deeply the epidemic has taken hold. Experts say much more needs to be done to protect families and communities nationwide.