Significant Increase in Medicaid Patients Receiving Opioid Treatment: New Study Reveals
Recent findings from a study conducted by RTI International, a prestigious independent research institute, reveal a considerable increase in access to medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) among Medicaid beneficiaries throughout almost every U.S. state from 2019 to 2023. The comprehensive analysis encompassed more than 126 million annual Medicaid enrollment records from 47 states, alongside the District of Columbia, and has been published in JAMA Network Open. The study primarily focused on the OUD Cascade of Care, a framework that outlines the patient's journey from diagnosis through treatment and subsequent health outcomes.
The research comprised several key elements:
According to Tami Mark, Ph.D., a Distinguished Fellow at RTI and a coauthor of the study, "The increase in individuals receiving effective treatment for opioid use disorders may have contributed to the national decline in opioid overdose deaths, which began in 2023." Past research has established that utilizing medications for opioid use disorder can potentially reduce the risk of mortality by half.
The results indicated that the percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries diagnosed with OUD decreased from 4.2% in 2019 to 3.6% in 2023. Notably, this decline was observed in 34 states, while 14 states experienced an increase. In contrast, the percentage of those with an OUD diagnosis who received MOUD climbed significantly from 60.0% to 69.1%, marking advancements in 45 states and regressions in three.
However, the study also highlighted a decline in the percentage of patients maintaining their MOUD for at least 180 days, dropping from 62.6% to 57.7%, with 29 states witnessing decreases and 19 registering increases. Furthermore, the occurrences of OUD-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits modestly decreased from 10.9% to 10.6%, with 17 states showing a decline and 31 states an increase.
"The state-level variation we observed indicates that improvement is not uniformly distributed throughout the country," remarked William Dowd, Ph.D., a research economist at RTI and coauthor of the study. "While certain states experienced positive outcomes in multiple metrics, others faced challenges in sustaining patient engagement in treatment, paving the way for opportunities to learn from successful strategies that encourage longer treatment durations."
The analysis, backed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) HEAL Initiative, utilized national Medicaid claims data spanning from 2018 to 2023. The authors accentuated the necessity for further research to unravel the factors influencing state-level disparities and identify effective strategies to enhance long-term treatment engagement.
For those interested in a deeper understanding of the study’s findings and implications, a complete version of the study is available here. Also, learn more about the ongoing behavioral health research conducted by RTI International by visiting their website or contacting their media relations department for further information.
The research comprised several key elements:
- - Percentage of patients diagnosed with OUD
- - Percentage of patients receiving medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)
- - Percentage of patients continuing MOUD
- - OUD-related patient outcomes, including hospitalizations and emergency department visits
According to Tami Mark, Ph.D., a Distinguished Fellow at RTI and a coauthor of the study, "The increase in individuals receiving effective treatment for opioid use disorders may have contributed to the national decline in opioid overdose deaths, which began in 2023." Past research has established that utilizing medications for opioid use disorder can potentially reduce the risk of mortality by half.
The results indicated that the percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries diagnosed with OUD decreased from 4.2% in 2019 to 3.6% in 2023. Notably, this decline was observed in 34 states, while 14 states experienced an increase. In contrast, the percentage of those with an OUD diagnosis who received MOUD climbed significantly from 60.0% to 69.1%, marking advancements in 45 states and regressions in three.
However, the study also highlighted a decline in the percentage of patients maintaining their MOUD for at least 180 days, dropping from 62.6% to 57.7%, with 29 states witnessing decreases and 19 registering increases. Furthermore, the occurrences of OUD-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits modestly decreased from 10.9% to 10.6%, with 17 states showing a decline and 31 states an increase.
"The state-level variation we observed indicates that improvement is not uniformly distributed throughout the country," remarked William Dowd, Ph.D., a research economist at RTI and coauthor of the study. "While certain states experienced positive outcomes in multiple metrics, others faced challenges in sustaining patient engagement in treatment, paving the way for opportunities to learn from successful strategies that encourage longer treatment durations."
The analysis, backed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) HEAL Initiative, utilized national Medicaid claims data spanning from 2018 to 2023. The authors accentuated the necessity for further research to unravel the factors influencing state-level disparities and identify effective strategies to enhance long-term treatment engagement.
For those interested in a deeper understanding of the study’s findings and implications, a complete version of the study is available here. Also, learn more about the ongoing behavioral health research conducted by RTI International by visiting their website or contacting their media relations department for further information.
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