HomeNew Analysis Exposes Major Treatment Gap in Opioid Addiction Recovery in the...

New Analysis Exposes Major Treatment Gap in Opioid Addiction Recovery in the US

Published on

The Opioid Crisis Continues: New Study Shows Shocking Disparities in Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment Across States

A Northwestern Medicine study has revealed that despite approximately 7 million adults in the United States living with opioid use disorder (OUD), only 7% of Medicaid enrollees with OUD received the integral residential treatment.

Residential treatment centers are considered to offer some of the best treatment for those struggling with severe substance use.

The study measured residential treatment use across nine states, and the findings add context to the ongoing national conversation about OUD treatment and policy.

“Given the worsening opioid crisis, that number seems low,” remarks corresponding author Lindsay Allen. “We’re probably leaving effective treatment for millions on the table.”

The study discovered significant variation in the usage of residential treatment across the nine states analyzed, with some states providing treatment for as little as 0.3% of their Medicaid enrollees with OUD, while others provided up to 14.6%.

According to Allen, the difference in usage of residential treatment across states may be due to variations in insurance coverage, availability of facilities, and demographic characteristics of the populations in those states.

“It’s disconcerting that these rates range so drastically,” Allen adds. “We don’t know the ‘right’ number of people that need residential care, but it’s clearly more than what is being used.”

The results, published today in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, contribute to the ongoing national dialogue about OUD treatment and policy by providing a baseline for future research.

Residential treatment centers, also known as ‘rehab’, are considered to be among the top treatments for individuals with severe substance use. These centers offer round-the-clock care and structured support, including individual and group therapy, as well as medication for opioid use disorder such as methadone and buprenorphine.

“Residential treatment – as long as it is evidence based – is one of the best treatments for those with severe substance use,” Allen adds. “It helps move people into meaningful long-term recovery, which saves lives and reduces the need for costly health care in the long term.”

This study presents the first instance of a like-for-like comparison, indicating the number of Medicaid enrollees with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) who are receiving residential treatment across multiple states.

To achieve this, they utilized a distributed research network that standardized Medicaid data from nine states.

Medicaid is a significant healthcare payer in the U.S. that provides coverage to low-income individuals. With an increasing number of Medicaid agencies expanding their coverage to include residential treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), it has become crucial to track the usage of such treatment among Medicaid beneficiaries across different states. This will help to establish benchmarks and inform policy decisions, according to Allen.

As a state-managed program, any proposals to raise the rate of residential treatment fall within the jurisdiction of individual states. However, Allen notes that there are various federal avenues, including a Section 1115 waiver, that states can use to provide reimbursement (sometimes accompanied by federal financial assistance) for such care.

Nine states, namely Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, were involved in this study, which encompassed a total of 14.9 million individuals (equivalent to 20% of all Medicaid enrollees). The findings from each state were rendered anonymous, as confidentiality agreements had been established with the respective state partners.

Image Credit: Getty

Latest articles

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...

Science Shock: Salmon’s Food Choices Better at Reducing Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

Salmon: Rich in Health Benefits, Yet May Offer Less Nutritional Value - This is...

More like this

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...