Comparing Pre-Treatment to Post-Treatment Medicaid Utilization in Individuals Who Enter Methadone Therapy

August 15, 2007

This report is the fourth in the series about the medical costs and benefits associated with expanding buprenorphine treatment as a therapy for heroin addiction. The report looks at the utilization of Medicaid services by individuals with opioid dependence before and after they initiate opioid maintenance treatment (OMT). In addition, the study compares utilization of these individuals treated in Baltimore City with those treated in the rest of the state. The study's results support the value and effectiveness of methadone treatment, both clinically and financially, and suggest that expanding treatment access has the potential to reduce both individual suffering and overall societal burden associated with opioid dependence without increasing the cost of medical care.

Also in this series of reports are: Heroin Addiction Treatment Correlates in Maryland; Review of Cost-Benefit and Cost-Effectiveness Literature for Methadone or Buprenorphine as a Treatment for Opiate Addiction; Opioid Exposure in Maryland Hospitals; and An Evaluation of Whether Medical Savings are Associated with Expanding Opioid Maintenance Therapy for Heroin Addiction in Baltimore City.