A recent study published in JAMA Health Forum has shed light on significant disparities in Medicaid access to opioid addiction treatment. The study, now the most extensive Medicaid analysis of opioid addiction, revealed that patients on Medicaid face four times the risk for opioid poisoning compared to those on commercial insurance.
Having insurance does not guarantee access to treatments like methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone. According to the study, 55 percent of Medicaid enrollees with OUD received some form of medication treatment nationwide.
The study found extensive variability in the rates that patients received medication for OUD across the country, underscoring issues with disparities in quality of care. The study also illuminated differences in access to treatment within states.
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