Brandeis University Reports Findings in Drugs Used In Alcohol Dependence (Alcohol Use Disorder Medication Coverage and Utilization Management In Medicaid Managed Care Plans): Drugs and Therapies – Drugs Used In Alcohol Dependence

2025 APR 10 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on Drugs and Therapies - Drugs Used In Alcohol Dependence have been published. According to news reporting out of Waltham, Massachusetts, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Importance Evidence-based, patient-centered treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) can include pharmacotherapy with naltrexone, acamprosate, or disulfiram; however, these medications are rarely used. Medicaid managed care plans (MCPs) manage health services for nearly 80% of Medicaid enrollees and are the largest payer for addiction treatment services.”

Financial supporters for this research include NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Brandeis University, “Little is known about Medicaid MCP policies for AUD medications. To describe Medicaid MCPs’ coverage and management of acamprosate, naltrexone, and disulfiram for AUD and examine associations of plan characteristics and state policies with medication coverage. Setting, and Participants In this cross-sectional study, a content analysis was performed of 2021 insurance benefit data for 241 comprehensive Medicaid MCPs in states using Medicaid managed care, as well as secondary sources. Data were analyzed from May to August 2024. Main Outcomes and Measures Medicaid MCP-reported medication coverage and utilization management requirements (eg, prior authorization, quantity limit requirements) for acamprosate, disulfiram, and oral and injectable naltrexone together and for each medication separately. Independent variables included plan characteristics (profit status, market share) and the state policy environment in which plans are embedded (Section 1115 substance use disorder waiver, state-defined preferred drug list). Regressions examined associations of plan characteristics and state policies with medication coverage. In this cross-sectional content analysis of 241 comprehensive Medicaid MCPs in 2021, 217 (90.0%) covered at least 1 medication for AUD: 132 (54.7%) covered acamprosate, 203 (84.2%) covered oral naltrexone, 175 (72.6%) covered injectable naltrexone, 152 (63.0%) covered disulfiram, and 103 (42.7%) covered all 4 medications. Prior authorization and quantity limits were rarely applied, except for injectable naltrexone, for which 75 plans (42.8%) imposed at least 1 of these utilization management requirements. Conclusions and Relevance This study suggests that efforts to expand AUD medication prescribing may be limited by gaps in health insurance coverage.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Medicaid MCPs and states can support AUD medication utilization by covering these medications without applying utilization management strategies.”

For more information on this research see: Alcohol Use Disorder Medication Coverage and Utilization Management In Medicaid Managed Care Plans. JAMA Network Open, 2025;8(3). JAMA Network Open can be contacted at: Amer Medical Assoc, 330 N Wabash Ave, Ste 39300, Chicago, IL 60611-5885, USA.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Maureen T. Stewart, Brandeis University, Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, 415 South St, MS035, Waltham, MA 02453, United States. Additional authors for this research include Sage R. Feltus, Cindy Parks Thomas, Constance M. Horgan, Dominic Hodgkin, Rachel Sayko Adams, Christina M. Andrews, Andrea Acevedo and Jeffrey Bratberg.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0695. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)