Use of residential opioid use disorder treatment among Medicaid enrollees in nine states.

INTRODUCTION: Residential treatment is a key component of the opioid use disorder care continuum, but research has not measured well the differences in its use across states at the enrollee level. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study used Medicaid claims data from nine states to document the prevalence of residential treatment for opioid use disorder and to describe the characteristics of patients receiving care. For each patient characteristic, chi-square and t-tests tested for differences in the distribution between individuals who did and did not receive residential care. RESULTS: Among 491,071 Medicaid enrollees with opioid use disorder, 7.5 % were treated in residential facilities in 2019, though this number ranged widely (0.3-14.6 %) across states. Residential patients were more likely to be younger, non-Hispanic White, male, and living in an urban area. Although residential patients were less likely than those without residential care to be eligible for Medicaid through disability, diagnoses for comorbid conditions were more frequently observed among residential patients. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this large, multi-state study add context to the ongoing national conversation around opioid use disorder treatment and policy, providing a baseline for future work.

Outpatient follow-up and use of medications for opioid use disorder after residential treatment among Medicaid enrollees in 10 states.

BACKGROUND: Follow-up after residential treatment is considered best practice in supporting patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) in their recovery. Yet, little is known about rates of follow-up after discharge. The objective of this analysis was to measure rates of follow-up and use of medications for OUD (MOUD) after residential treatment among Medicaid enrollees in 10 states, and to understand the enrollee and episode characteristics that are associated with both outcomes. METHODS: Using a distributed research network to analyze Medicaid claims data, we estimated the likelihood of 4 outcomes occurring within 7 and 30 days post-discharge from residential treatment for OUD using multinomial logit regression: no follow-up or MOUD, follow-up visit only, MOUD only, or both follow-up and MOUD. We used meta-analysis techniques to pool state-specific estimates into global estimates. RESULTS: We identified 90,639 episodes of residential treatment for OUD for 69,017 enrollees from 2018 to 2019. We found that 62.5% and 46.9% of episodes did not receive any follow-up or MOUD at 7 days and 30 days, respectively. In adjusted analyses, co-occurring mental health conditions, longer lengths of stay, prior receipt of MOUD or behavioral health counseling, and a recent ED visit for OUD were associated with a greater likelihood of receiving follow-up treatment including MOUD after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Forty-seven percent of residential treatment episodes for Medicaid enrollees are not followed by an outpatient visit or MOUD, and thus are not following best practices.

Duration of medication treatment for opioid-use disorder and risk of overdose among Medicaid enrollees in 11 states: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) reduces harms associated with opioid use disorder (OUD), including risk of overdose. Understanding how variation in MOUD duration influences overdose risk is important as health-care payers increasingly remove barriers to treatment continuation (e.g. prior authorization). This study measured the association between MOUD continuation, relative to discontinuation, and opioid-related overdose among Medicaid beneficiaries. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using landmark survival analysis. We estimated the association between treatment continuation and overdose risk at 5 points after the index, or first, MOUD claim. Censoring events included death and disenrollment. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Medicaid programs in 11 US states: Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. A total of 293 180 Medicaid beneficiaries aged 18-64 years with a diagnosis of OUD and had a first MOUD claim between 2016 and 2017. MEASUREMENTS: MOUD formulations included methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. We measured medically treated opioid-related overdose within claims within 12 months of the index MOUD claim. FINDINGS: Results were consistent across states. In pooled results, 5.1% of beneficiaries had an overdose, and 67% discontinued MOUD before an overdose or censoring event within 12 months. Beneficiaries who continued MOUD beyond 60 days had a lower relative overdose hazard ratio (HR) compared with those who discontinued by day 60 [HR = 0.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.36-0.42; P < 0.0001]. MOUD continuation was associated with lower overdose risk at 120 days (HR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.31-0.37; P < 0.0001), 180 days (HR = 0.31; 95% CI = 0.29-0.34; P < 0.0001), 240 days (HR = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.26-0.31; P < 0.0001) and 300 days (HR = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.24-0.32; P < 0.0001). The hazard of overdose was 10% lower with each additional 60 days of MOUD (95% CI = 0.88-0.92; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Continuation of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in US Medicaid beneficiaries was associated with a substantial reduction in overdose risk up to 12 months after the first claim for MOUD.

Use of Medications for Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Among US Medicaid Enrollees in 11 States, 2014-2018.

Importance: There is limited information about trends in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) among Medicaid enrollees. Objective: To examine the use of medications for OUD and potential indicators of quality of care in multiple states. Design, Setting, and Participants: Exploratory serial cross-sectional study of 1 024 301 Medicaid enrollees in 11 states aged 12 through 64 years (not eligible for Medicare) with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9 or ICD-10) codes for OUD from 2014 through 2018. Each state used generalized estimating equations to estimate associations between enrollee characteristics and outcome measure prevalence, subsequently pooled to generate global estimates using random effects meta-analyses. Exposures: Calendar year, demographic characteristics, eligibility groups, and comorbidities. Main Outcomes and Measures: Use of medications for OUD (buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone); potential indicators of good quality (OUD medication continuity for 180 days, behavioral health counseling, urine drug tests); potential indicators of poor quality (prescribing of opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines). Results: In 2018, 41.7% of Medicaid enrollees with OUD were aged 21 through 34 years, 51.2% were female, 76.1% were non-Hispanic White, 50.7% were eligible through Medicaid expansion, and 50.6% had other substance use disorders. Prevalence of OUD increased in these 11 states from 3.3% (290 628 of 8 737 082) in 2014 to 5.0% (527 983 of 10 585 790) in 2018. The pooled prevalence of enrollees with OUD receiving medication treatment increased from 47.8% in 2014 (range across states, 35.3% to 74.5%) to 57.1% in 2018 (range, 45.7% to 71.7%). The overall prevalence of enrollees receiving 180 days of continuous medications for OUD did not significantly change from the 2014-2015 to 2017-2018 periods (-0.01 prevalence difference, 95% CI, -0.03 to 0.02) with state variability in trend (90% prediction interval, -0.08 to 0.06). Non-Hispanic Black enrollees had lower OUD medication use than White enrollees (prevalence ratio [PR], 0.72; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.81; P < .001; 90% prediction interval, 0.52 to 1.00). Pregnant women had higher use of OUD medications (PR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.11-1.25; P < .001; 90% prediction interval, 1.01-1.38) and medication continuity (PR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.10-1.17, P < .001; 90% prediction interval, 1.06-1.22) than did other eligibility groups. Conclusions and Relevance: Among US Medicaid enrollees in 11 states, the prevalence of medication use for treatment of opioid use disorder increased from 2014 through 2018. The pattern in other states requires further research.

Healthcare Patterns of Pregnant Women and Children Affected by OUD in 9 State Medicaid Populations.

OBJECTIVES: State Medicaid programs are the largest single provider of healthcare for pregnant persons with opioid use disorder (OUD). Our objective was to provide comparable, multistate measures estimating the burden of OUD in pregnancy, medication for OUD (MOUD) in pregnancy, and related neonatal and child outcomes. METHODS: Drawing on the Medicaid Outcomes Distributed Research Network (MODRN), we accessed administrative healthcare data for 1.6 million pregnancies and 1.3 million live births in 9 state Medicaid populations from 2014 to 2017. We analyzed within- and between-state prevalences and time trends in the following outcomes: diagnosis of OUD in pregnancy, initiation, and continuity of MOUD in pregnancy, Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), and well-child visit utilization among children with NOWS. RESULTS: OUD diagnosis increased from 49.6 per 1000 to 54.1 per 1000 pregnancies, and the percentage of those with any MOUD in pregnancy increased from 53.4% to 57.9%, during our study time period. State-specific percentages of 180-day continuity of MOUD ranged from 41.2% to 84.5%. The rate of neonates diagnosed with NOWS increased from 32.7 to 37.0 per 1000 live births. State-specific percentages of children diagnosed with NOWS who had the recommended well-child visits in the first 15 months ranged from 39.3% to 62.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Medicaid data, which allow for longitudinal surveillance of care across different settings, can be used to monitor OUD and related pregnancy and child health outcomes. Findings highlight the need for public health efforts to improve care for pregnant persons and children affected by OUD.

Innovative Solutions for State Medicaid Programs to Leverage Their Data, Build Their Analytic Capacity, and Create Evidence-Based Policy.

As states have embraced additional flexibility to change coverage of and payment for Medicaid services, they have also faced heightened expectations for delivering high-value care. Efforts to meet these new expectations have increased the need for rigorous, evidence-based policy, but states may face challenges finding the resources, capacity, and expertise to meet this need. By describing state-university partnerships in more than 20 states, this commentary describes innovative solutions for states that want to leverage their own data, build their analytic capacity, and create evidence-based policy. From an integrated web-based system to improve long-term care to evaluating the impact of permanent supportive housing placements on Medicaid utilization and spending, these state partnerships provide significant support to their state Medicaid programs. In 2017, these partnerships came together to create a distributed research network that supports multi-state analyses. The Medicaid Outcomes Distributed Research Network (MODRN) uses a common data model to examine Medicaid data across states, thereby increasing the analytic rigor of policy evaluations in Medicaid, and contributing to the development of a fully functioning Medicaid innovation laboratory.

A statewide quality improvement (QI) initiative for better health outcomes and family stability among pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD) and their infants.

A collaborative led by state health and human service agencies, academic leaders, and stakeholders tested interventions to expand use of medication assisted treatment (MAT) through a maternal medical home (MMH) model that coordinated behavioral health and prenatal care with social supports for pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD) enrolled in Medicaid. The program was anchored in four clinical organizations with distinct models of care: community behavioral health, residential behavioral health, hospital-based obstetrical practice, and co-located obstetrical and behavioral health. A modified version of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Breakthrough Series Model for Improvement was implemented using monthly performance data feedback to conduct small tests of change and improve care. Administrative data from the state's Medicaid, vital statistics, and child welfare systems were linked to evaluate the impact of MOMS on 252 mother-infant dyads compared to a sample of 846 Medicaid beneficiaries with OUD in the third trimester of pregnancy. MOMS participation was associated with increased likelihood of MAT in trimesters one, two and three (AOR = 2.30, 4.40, 2.75, respectively), behavioral health counseling during trimesters two and three (AOR = 3.75 and 2.07, respectively), retention in MAT during postpartum months one through three and four through six (AOR = 2.86, 2.40, respectively), and marginally lower out-of-home placement of infants born to mothers with OUD (AOR = 0.66). Within the MOMS program, greater participation in behavioral health treatment and MAT (χ2(3) ≥ 12.09) was observed in the co-located behavioral health/obstetrical care practice site compared to behavioral health-led and obstetrical provider-led sites.