West Virginia University Health Affairs Institute
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More treatment, less stigma: Project examines what Medicaid enrollees with opioid use disorder need to recover

The opioid crisis has acutely affected the West Virginia Medicaid program, which insures most of the State’s population with opioid use disorder (OUD). Three Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for OUD (MOUD) are covered by WV Medicaid, and the state identified a need to evaluate outcomes associated with MOUD compared to treatment without MOUD.

Health Affairs Institute was called on to evaluate facilitators and barriers to accessing opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and recovery supports to better understand factors that impact treatment access and recovery outcomes for West Virginia Medicaid enrollees diagnosed with OUD.

Our Goal

Evaluate facilitators and barriers to accessing OUD treatment and recovery supports to better understand factors that impact treatment access and recovery outcomes for WV Medicaid enrollees diagnosed with OUD.

Capabilities Applied

Our Results

Patients can benefit from strengthened support networks, additional provider education on stigma and person-centered care, more treatment options, and public interventions to reduce stigmatizing beliefs and behaviors. Our mixed methods approach found that:

  • Inflexible care can lead to disengagement from treatment.
  • Programs and support networks can alleviate transportation and financial barriers and increase access to care.
  • Non-judgmental patient-provider relationships are highly valued, and stigma in community and medical settings can have significant negative effects on health and recovery.