Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Medicaid

Staff presented a draft chapter describing findings from the Commission’s analytic work on access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in Medicaid. The draft chapter begins with background information, followed by a discussion of recent federal policies and funding that have affected access to MOUD. Next, it provides an overview of MOUD coverage and presents estimates of MOUD use, including how the federal benefit mandate, specifically additional coverage of methadone, affected utilization of MOUD. The draft chapter then discusses three barriers to MOUD as identified through the Commission’s work: social stigma, provider availability, and utilization management practices (e.g., prior authorization). Looking ahead, the Commission plans to further investigate the use of utilization management practices and how they affect Medicaid beneficiaries’ receipt of timely and effective care.