Medication Treatment For Medicaid Beneficiaries With Opioid Use Disorder Increases To 69% While 180-Day Treatment Retention Declines

State Medicaid program policy changes targeting opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment were associated with an increase in the percentage of beneficiaries receiving medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), rising from 60.0% in 2018 to 69.1% in 2023. Although MOUD uptake increased, treatment continuation for at least 180 days declined, falling from 62.6% to 57.7%.

Between 2018 and 2023, federal and state governments rolled out many policies and programs to increase use of MOUD. These included expanding coverage for MOUD under state Medicaid programs, easing burdens for clinical professionals to prescribe buprenorphine, easing restrictions on take-home . . .