Medicaid Coverage of Medications to Reverse Opioid Overdose and Treat Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorders

The report discusses Medicaid coverage of FDA-approved medications for treatment of alcohol and opioid use disorders, limitations on coverage (such as prior authorization requirements), background on federal laws and policies and innovative practices and policies at the state level.

This report presents information about Medicaid coverage of medication-assisted treatment for opioid and alcohol dependence. It covers treatment effectiveness and cost effectiveness. The report also offers examples of innovative approaches in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maryland.

This report presents spending information for treatment of mental illness, substance use disorders, or both for people only enrolled in Medicaid, and those enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. The report also covers fee-for-service spending and managed care spending.

This handbook reviews Medicaid and its role in financing services and treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders. It discusses services included in state Medicaid plans and other factors related to Medicaid, such as reimbursement.

This brief provides guidance to state governments on increasing the availability of evidence-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in criminal justice (CJ) settings. By including the criminal justice system as a path to treatment, states may see an increase in access to and retention in treatment, and lower rates of overdoses, re-offending, and re-incarcerations. In this brief, states are provided an overview of the issue, the challenges to incorporating MAT, key considerations for establishing MAT in CJ settings, and existing standards/guidelines.