Access to Providers Prescribing or Dispensing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Medicare and Medicaid

Deaths from opioid overdoses have surged to unprecedented levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of April 2021, 100,000 people had died due to drug overdoses in just the preceding 12 months, an increase of 28 percent from the same period the year before. Access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is essential for addressing high rates of opioid addiction and overdose mortality. Medicare and Medicaid play important roles in providing MOUD, but concerns about access to MOUD through these programs persist. About 16 percent of Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with opioid use disorder received MOUD through Medicare in 2020, and only 44 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries under age 65 with opioid use disorder received any treatment through Medicaid in 2017. To improve access, the Federal government has recently expanded MOUD coverage through Medicare and Medicaid. This study will determine what percentage of providers are treating Medicare or Medicaid patients with MOUD. It will also identify geographic areas where access to MOUD remains challenging for people enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid.

Announced or Revised	Agency	Title	Component	Report Number(s)	Expected Issue Date (FY)
Completed	Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services	Access to Providers Prescribing or Dispensing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Medicare and Medicaid	Office of Evaluation and Inspections	OEI-BL-23-00160	2025