Issue Briefs | Mar 16, 2018

Medicaid: The Linchpin in State Strategies to Prevent and Address Opioid Use Disorders

April Grady, Patricia Boozang, Deborah Bachrach, Adam Striar, and Kevin McAvey, Manatt Health

The nation’s opioid epidemic claimed more than 42,000 lives in 2016, and more than 2 million people in the United States have an opioid use disorder (OUD). Yet, only 1 in 5 people suffering from an OUD receive treatment. The federal government has responded to the crisis by declaring a public health emergency and making over $500 million of OUD-targeted funding available to states last year. While critical, these dollars (and the programs they fund) pale in comparison to the scale and scope of resources the Medicaid program brings to states to combat the opioid epidemic and other substance use disorders (SUD). Indeed, today, Medicaid covers more than 1 in 3 people with an OUD, and program spending for people with an OUD in 2013 (before Medicaid expansion in many states) was more than $9 billion. In this issue brief, data from three states—New Hampshire, Ohio and West Virginia—highlight Medicaid’s role as the linchpin in states’ efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

The State Health Policy Highlights, View from the States: the Role of Medicaid in Preventing and Addressing Opioid Use Disorders provides an overview on the role of Medicaid in supporting state efforts to address the opioid epidemic.


Expert Perspectives

The No Surprises Act: Implications for States

In the waning days of 2020, Congress enacted a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package and government funding bill (H.R. 133). Included in the measure is the “No Surprises Act”, which contains new protections for consumers from surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers. The new law establishes, for the first time, comprehensive protections in the states without their own balance billing laws and for the nearly 135 million people in self-insured plans beyond the reach of state regulators. This expert perspective summarizes provisions that have particular implications for state regulators.

January 7, 2021

The State of Play: Public Option at the Federal and State Level and What to Expect in 2021

Faced with significant premium fluctuation and the risk of “bare counties”, many policy stakeholders have turned to the public option as a potential tool to promote stability and affordability in the individual insurance market. Since 2017, nearly a dozen states have considered or passed legislation to study or implement a state-based public option program. Additionally, the 2020 election and transition to a new federal administration marks a pivotal point for state policymakers with interest in fostering new coverage options. An incoming Biden Administration’s support for state innovation will create new state-based coverage opportunities, even as major federal legislation is unlikely under a divided Congress. This expert perspective provides a brief overview of selected states efforts to implement a public option and highlights what to expect in a federal policy environment.