Trends in Engagement With Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Among Medicaid Beneficiaries During the COVID-19 Pandemic. 2022

Alyssa Shell Tilhou, and Laura Dague, and Brendan Saloner, and Daniel Beemon, and Marguerite Burns
Department of Family Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.

Disruptions in care during the COVID-19 pandemic may have decreased access to care for patients with opioid use disorder. To examine trends in opioid use disorder treatment including buprenorphine possession, urine drug testing, and opioid treatment program services during the COVID-19 public health emergency. This cohort study included 6453 parent and childless adult Medicaid beneficiaries, aged 18 to 64 years, with opioid use disorder and continuous enrollment from December 1, 2018, to September 30, 2020, in Wisconsin. Logistic regression compared differences in study outcomes before, early, and later in the COVID-19 public health emergency. Analyses were conducted from January 2021 to October 2021. Early (March 16, 2020, to May 15, 2020) and later (May 16, 2020, to September 30, 2020) in the public health emergency. Person-week outcomes included possession of buprenorphine, completion of outpatient urine drug testing, and receipt of opioid treatment program services. The final cohort of 6453 participants included 3986 (61.8%) childless adults; 5741 (89%) were younger than 50 years, 3435 (53.2%) were women, 5036 (78.0%) White, and 22.0% were racial and ethnic minority groups (American Indian, 269 [4.2%]; Asian, 26 [0.4%]; Black, 458 [7.1%]; Hispanic, 292 [4.5%]; Pacific Islander, 1 [.02%]; Multiracial, 238 [3.7%]). Overall, 2858 (44.3%), 5074 (78.6%), and 2928 (45.4%) received buprenorphine, urine drug testing, or opioid treatment program services during the study period, respectively. Probability of buprenorphine possession did not change in the early or later part of the public health emergency. Probability of urine drug testing initially decreased (marginal effect [ME], -0.04; 95% CI, -0.04 to -0.03; P < .001) and then partially recovered in the later public health emergency (ME, -0.02; 95% CI, -0.03 to -0.02; P < .001). Probability of opioid treatment program services followed a similar pattern, with an early decrease (ME, -0.05; 95% CI, -0.05 to -0.04; P < .001) followed by partial recovery (ME, -0.02; 95% CI, -0.03 to -0.02; P < .001). In a sample of continuously enrolled adult Medicaid beneficiaries, the COVID-19 public health emergency was not associated with decreased probability of buprenorphine possession, but was associated with decreased probability of urine drug testing and opioid treatment program services. These findings suggest patients in office-based settings retained access to buprenorphine despite decreased on-site services like urine drug tests, whereas patients at opioid treatment programs experienced greater disruption in care. Given the importance of medications for opioid use disorder in preventing overdose, policy makers should consider permanent policy changes based on lessons learned from the public health emergency to enable ongoing enhanced access to these medications.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008484 Medicaid Federal program, created by Public Law 89-97, Title XIX, a 1965 amendment to the Social Security Act, administered by the states, that provides health care benefits to indigent and medically indigent persons. Dental Medicaid Program,Medical Assistance, Title 19,Dental Medicaid Programs,Medicaid Program, Dental,Medicaid Programs, Dental,Program, Dental Medicaid,Programs, Dental Medicaid
D008913 Minority Groups A subgroup having special characteristics within a larger group, often bound together by special ties which distinguish it from the larger group. Group, Minority,Groups, Minority,Minority Group
D009293 Opioid-Related Disorders Disorders related to or resulting from abuse or misuse of OPIOIDS. Opiate Addiction,Opiate Dependence,Opioid Misuse,Opioid Use Disorder,Prescription Opioid Abuse,Prescription Opioid Misuse,Addiction, Opioid,Dependence, Opioid,Opiate Abuse,Opioid Abuse,Opioid Addiction,Opioid Dependence,Abuse, Opiate,Abuse, Opioid,Abuse, Prescription Opioid,Addiction, Opiate,Dependence, Opiate,Disorder, Opioid Use,Misuse, Opioid,Misuse, Prescription Opioid,Opiate Abuses,Opioid Abuse, Prescription,Opioid Abuses,Opioid Addictions,Opioid Dependences,Opioid Misuses,Opioid Related Disorders,Opioid Use Disorders,Opioid-Related Disorder,Prescription Opioid Abuses,Prescription Opioid Misuses
D002047 Buprenorphine A derivative of the opioid alkaloid THEBAINE that is a more potent and longer lasting analgesic than MORPHINE. It appears to act as a partial agonist at mu and kappa opioid receptors and as an antagonist at delta receptors. The lack of delta-agonist activity has been suggested to account for the observation that buprenorphine tolerance may not develop with chronic use. 6029-M,Buprenex,Buprenorphine Hydrochloride,Buprex,Prefin,RX-6029-M,Subutex,Temgesic,Temgésic,6029 M,6029M,Hydrochloride, Buprenorphine,RX 6029 M,RX6029M
D005006 Ethnicity A group of people with a common cultural heritage that sets them apart from others in a variety of social relationships. Ethnic Groups,Nationality,Ethnic Group,Nationalities
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000093485 COVID-19 Drug Treatment The use of DRUGS to treat COVID19 or its symptoms. COVID-19 Drug Therapy,COVID19 Drug Therapy,COVID19 Drug Treatment,Coronavirus Disease 2019 Drug Treatment,Coronavirus Disease-19 Drug Treatment,COVID 19 Drug Therapy,COVID 19 Drug Treatment,COVID-19 Drug Therapies,COVID19 Drug Therapies,COVID19 Drug Treatments,Coronavirus Disease 19 Drug Treatment,Drug Therapy, COVID-19,Drug Therapy, COVID19,Therapy, COVID-19 Drug,Therapy, COVID19 Drug,Treatment, COVID-19 Drug
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults

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