Researchers from University of Kentucky Report Details of New Studies and Findings in the Area of Opioid Dependence (States’ implementation of the…

Researchers from University of Kentucky Report Details of New Studies and Findings in the Area of Opioid Dependence (States' implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the supply of physicians waivered to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid ...)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Managed Care Weekly Digest -- Investigators publish new report on Opioid Dependence. According to news reporting from Lexington, Kentucky, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, "Although the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is anticipated to affect substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, its impact on the supply of physicians waivered to treat opioid dependence with buprenorphine has not been considered. This study examined whether states more supportive of ACA, meaning those that had opted to expand Medicaid and establish a state-based health insurance exchange, experienced greater growth in physician supply than less supportive states."

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the University of Kentucky, "Buprenorphine physician supply, including total physician supply, supply of 30-patient physicians, and supply of 100-patient physicians per 100,000 state residents, was measured from June 2013 to May 2015. State characteristics were drawn from multiple secondary sources, with states categorized as ACA-supportive, ACA-hybrid (where states either expanded Medicaid or established a state-based exchange), or ACA-resistant (where states took neither action). Mixed effects regression was used to estimate state-level growth curves to test whether rates of growth varied by states' approaches to implementing ACA. The supply of waivered physicians grew significantly over the two-year period. Rates of growth were significantly lower in ACA-hybrid and ACA-resistant states relative to growth in ACA-supportive states. Average buprenorphine physician supply at baseline varied by region, the percentage of residents covered by Medicaid, and the supply of specialty SUD treatment programs. This study found a positive impact of the ACA on growth in the supply of buprenorphine-waivered physicians in US states."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "Future research should address whether the ACA affects the number of patients receiving buprenorphine, Medicaid spending, and the quality of treatment services delivered."

For more information on this research see: States' implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the supply of physicians waivered to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid dependence. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2015;157():36-43. Drug and Alcohol Dependence can be contacted at: Elsevier Ireland Ltd, Elsevier House, Brookvale Plaza, East Park Shannon, Co, Clare, 00000, Ireland. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Drug and Alcohol Dependence - www.journals.elsevier.com/drug-and-alcohol-dependence/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting H.K. Knudsen, University of Kentucky, Center Drug & Alcohol Res, Lexington, KY 40508, United States. Additional authors for this research include M.R. Lofwall, J.R. Havens and S.L. Walsh (see also Opioid Dependence).

Keywords for this news article include: Kentucky, Medicaid, Lexington, United States, Health Policy, Opioid Dependence, North and Central America

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