Not surprisingly, consumers with an addictive disorder who are adherent to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) have lower costs of care. Those are the headline findings findings from a recent study — Association Between Extended-Release Buprenorphine Adherence & Reduced Healthcare Costs Among Insured Patients With Opioid Use Disorder).

Some of the other findings of the analysis have significant implications for designing and managing addiction treatment program models. Overall, only 24.7% of consumers (both from commercial health plans and Medicare) were adherent to the recommended treatment. Consumers who were adherent to a treatment program that included extended-release buprenorphine had the lowest total cost of care—total annual costs were $44,851 compared to $67,290 for those who were not adherent. Those consumers…