Medicaid coverage for methadone improves treatment for opioid use disorder in pregnancy

Medicaid coverage for methadone improves treatment for opioid use disorder in pregnancy

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Chemicals & Chemistry -- Pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD) are more likely to receive evidence-based treatment with an “opioid agonist”--usually methadone--in states where those medications are covered by Medicaid, reports a study in the December issue of Medical Care, published by Wolters Kluwer.

“Our findings suggest that Medicaid coverage of methadone maintenance should be considered a key policy strategy to support pregnant women, their families, and enable their providers to deliver effective care,” comments lead author Marcus A. Bachhuber, MD, of Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y.

“If we want to help children of women with opioid addiction get the best possible start in life, we must give their mothers access to evidence-based medications during pregnancy,” adds Laura J. Faherty, MD, of the RAND Corporation, Boston.

Medicaid Policy Affects Methadone Treatment Rate for OUD in Pregnancy

Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) is regarded as the standard of care for pregnant women with OUD. In addition to …

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(2017-12-01), Medicaid coverage for methadone improves treatment for opioid use disorder in pregnancy, Chemicals & Chemistry, 807, ISSN: 1944-1525, BUTTER® ID: 014775975