Welcome

Research Needed to Advance the Impact of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD): Focus on Benefit Design and Payor Reimbursement Practices Virtual Meeting

October 25, 2021
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, EDT

Spending on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) has increased substantially as the prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) has increased. Federal coverage laws and policies have changed, and payors have been responding to the opioid crisis by removing pre-authorization requirements and other utilization management techniques that may have been barriers in the past. New MOUD formulations have been developed that eliminate the need for daily dosing for many. Despite all of this, frequent reports remain of difficulties in accessing and continuing MOUDs among patients with opioid use disorder who have public or private coverage or who are eligible for state-funded treatment. Analyses of claims and encounter data continue to show that only a minority of patients diagnosed with OUD receive MOUDs. Most of those who do receive them appear to be retained for less than what observational research suggests is necessary to reduce their risk of overdose to that of the general population. These analyses also suggest that the use of long-term formulations, while growing, remains limited.

While there are many potential causes of these reports and empirical findings, the purpose of this meeting is to identify research and evidence gaps related to coverage, benefit design, reimbursement practices, and other payor practices. The goal is to identify whether and how additional research and research resources might further inform the efficient, effective provision of MOUDs to patients with OUD.

Recording

The meeting recording is available at https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=44014.