TY - JOUR
KW - Buprenorphine/administration & dosage
KW - Health Services Accessibility/legislation & jurisprudence
KW - Humans
KW - Insurance Coverage/statistics & numerical data/trends
KW - Insurance, Health/statistics & numerical data/trends
KW - Opiate Substitution Treatment/methods
KW - Opioid-Related Disorders/rehabilitation
KW - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
KW - Public Health
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
KW - United States
KW - ACA
KW - Addiction
KW - insurance
KW - Opioid
KW - treatment
AU - Sharon Reif
AU - Timothy B. Creedon
AU - Constance M. Horgan
AU - Maureen T. Stewart
AU - Deborah W. Garnick
A1 - 
AB - Opioid use disorders (OUDs) are receiving significant attention in the U.S. as a public health crisis. Access to treatment for OUDs is essential and was expected to improve following implementation of the federal parity law and the Affordable Care Act. This study examines changes in coverage and management of treatments for OUDs (opioid treatment programs (OTPs) as a covered service benefit, buprenorphine as a pharmacy benefit) before, during, and after parity and ACA implementation. Data are from three rounds of a nationally representative survey conducted with commercial health plans regarding behavioral health services in benefit years 2003, 2010, and 2014. Data were weighted to be representative of health plans' commercial products in the continental United States (2003 weighted N = 7,469, 83% response rate; 2010 N = 8,431, 89% response rate; and 2014 N = 6,974, 80% response rate). Results showed treatment for OUDs was covered by nearly all health plan products in each year of the survey, but the types and patterns varied by year. Prior authorization requirements for OTPs have decreased over time. Despite the promise of expanded access to OUD treatment suggested by parity and the ACA, improved health plan coverage for treatment of OUDs, while essential, is not sufficient to address the opioid crisis.
AD - a Senior Scientist, Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management , Brandeis University , Waltham , MA , USA.; b Research Associate (TBC)1, Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management , Brandeis University , Waltham , MA , USA.; c Associate Research Scientist, Cambridge Health Alliance , Cambridge , MA , USA.; d Professor and Director, Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management , Brandeis University , Waltham , MA , USA.; e Scientist, Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management , Brandeis University , Waltham , MA , USA.; f Professor, Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management , Brandeis University , Waltham , MA , USA.
BT - Journal of psychoactive drugs
C5 - Financing & Sustainability; Healthcare Policy; Opioids & Substance Use
CP - 2
CY - United States
DO - 10.1080/02791072.2017.1300360
IS - 2
JF - Journal of psychoactive drugs
LA - eng
M1 - Journal Article
N2 - Opioid use disorders (OUDs) are receiving significant attention in the U.S. as a public health crisis. Access to treatment for OUDs is essential and was expected to improve following implementation of the federal parity law and the Affordable Care Act. This study examines changes in coverage and management of treatments for OUDs (opioid treatment programs (OTPs) as a covered service benefit, buprenorphine as a pharmacy benefit) before, during, and after parity and ACA implementation. Data are from three rounds of a nationally representative survey conducted with commercial health plans regarding behavioral health services in benefit years 2003, 2010, and 2014. Data were weighted to be representative of health plans' commercial products in the continental United States (2003 weighted N = 7,469, 83% response rate; 2010 N = 8,431, 89% response rate; and 2014 N = 6,974, 80% response rate). Results showed treatment for OUDs was covered by nearly all health plan products in each year of the survey, but the types and patterns varied by year. Prior authorization requirements for OTPs have decreased over time. Despite the promise of expanded access to OUD treatment suggested by parity and the ACA, improved health plan coverage for treatment of OUDs, while essential, is not sufficient to address the opioid crisis.
PP - United States
PY - 2017
SN - 2159-9777; 0279-1072
SP - 102
EP - 110
EP - 
T1 - Commercial Health Plan Coverage of Selected Treatments for Opioid Use Disorders from 2003 to 2014
T2 - Journal of psychoactive drugs
TI - Commercial Health Plan Coverage of Selected Treatments for Opioid Use Disorders from 2003 to 2014
U1 - Financing & Sustainability; Healthcare Policy; Opioids & Substance Use
U2 - 28350229
U3 - 10.1080/02791072.2017.1300360
VL - 49
VO - 2159-9777; 0279-1072
Y1 - 2017
Y2 - Apr-Jun
ER -