Substance use disorder treatment carve outs in Medicaid managed care.

Introduction: Medicaid managed care organizations (MCO) play a major role in addressing the nation's epidemic of drug overdose and mortality by administering substance use disorder (SUD) treatment benefits for over 50 million Americans. While it is known that some Medicaid MCO plans delegate responsibility for managing SUD treatment benefits to an outside "carve out" entity, the extent and structure of such carve out arrangements are unknown. This is an important gap in knowledge, given that carve outs have been linked to reductions in rates of SUD treatment receipt in several studies.

State Funding For Substance Use Disorder Treatment Declined In The Wake Of Medicaid Expansion.

The US continues to grapple with an escalating epidemic of opioid-related overdose and mortality. State funds, which are the second-largest source of public funding for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and prevention, play a critically important role in responding to this crisis. Despite their importance, little is known about how these funds are allocated and how they have changed over time, particularly within the context of Medicaid expansion.

Mothers with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and Behavioral Health Conditions and Community Experts Provide Recommendations for Treatment/Services, Systems, and Research.

Mothers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are vulnerable to perinatal complications and adverse outcomes. Their vulnerabilities may also be exacerbated by co-occurring behavioral health (BH) conditions. Their wellbeing may be compromised by a lack of tailored treatments or by treatments and services that are inaccessible, irrelevant, and/or ineffective.

The COVID-19 pandemic impact on independent and provider-based rural health clinics' operations and cancer prevention and screening provision in the United States.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted cancer care, but it is unknown how the pandemic has affected care in Medicare-certified rural health clinics (RHCs) where cancer prevention and screening services are critical for their communities. This study examined how the provision of these cancer services changed pre- and peri-pandemic overall and by RHC type (independent and provider-based).

Methods: We administered a cross-sectional survey to a stratified random sample of RHCs to assess clinic characteristics, pandemic stressors, and the provision of cancer prevention and control services among RHCs pre- and peri-pandemic.

Text messaging to increase patient engagement in a large health care for the homeless clinic: Results of a randomized pilot study.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of text messaging to increase outpatient care engagement and medication adherence in an urban homeless population in Boston.

Methods: Between July 2017 and April 2018, 62 patients from a clinic serving a homeless population were sent automated text messages for four months. Messages were either appointment reminders and medication adherence suggestions (intervention group) or general health promotion messages (control group).

Differential patterns of opioid misuse between younger and older adults - a retrospective observational study using data from South Carolina's prescription drug monitoring program.

Most research on opioid misuse focuses on younger adults, yet opioid-related mortality has risen fastest among older Americans over age 55. To assess whether there are differential patterns of opioid misuse over time between younger and older adults and whether South Carolina's mandatory Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) affected opioid misuse differentially between the two groups. We used South Carolina's Reporting and Identification Prescription Tracking System from 2010 to 2018 to calculate an opioid misuse score for 193,073 patients (sex unknown) using days' supply, morphine milligram equivalents (MME), and the numbers of unique prescribers and dispensaries.

Identification and Treatment of Addiction in Medicaid Health Homes.

Objective: Coordinated care models, such as the Medicaid health home, may be well positioned to identify and address addiction, yet little is known about the strategies health home plans use to identify and treat this condition. This study examined state requirements of active Medicaid health home plans.

Methods: Content analyses of all 35 active Medicaid health home plans were conducted to identify state requirements related to enrollment eligibility; provision of addiction screening, treatment, and prevention services; inclusion of addiction treatment professionals within the health home provider care team; and outcomes monitoring.

A systematic review of team-building interventions in non-acute healthcare settings.

Background: Healthcare is increasingly delivered in a team-based format emphasizing interdisciplinary coordination. While recent reviews have investigated team-building interventions primarily in acute healthcare settings (e.g.