Policy Points States contract with Medicaid managed care plans to administer benefits for roughly 70 million Medicaid enrollees, yet little is known about how plan benefit policies for substance use
Apr 2026
The Impact of Recreational Cannabis Laws on Cannabis-Related Disorders in the US Medicare Population
Objectives. To investigate the effects of recreational cannabis laws (RCLs) on the rate of Medicare fee-for-service enrollees with cannabis-related disorders (CRDs) and claims involving CRDs. Methods. We used Medicare fee-for-service inpatient and
Apr 2026
Objective: As the largest payer of addiction treatment in the United States, Medicaid plays an important role in the delivery and quality of AUD treatment. However, little is known about
Apr 2026
Background Substance use disorder (SUD) remains a critical public health crisis in the United States, with high prevalence and overdose mortality rates. Despite the availability of effective treatments, including medications
Dec 2025
The public health impact of substance use (SU) is substantial, with tobacco use and excessive drinking leading as causes of death in the USA. To address this growing epidemic, governments
Dec 2025
Increased Opioid Exposure in Older Adults During COVID‐19: An Interrupted Times Series Analysis
Older adults in the United States have been dramatically impacted by the opioid overdose crisis. Over the past two decades, rates of opioid‐related overdose deaths and opioid use disorder have
Oct 2025
Cannabis Laws and Opioid Use Among Commercially Insured Patients With Cancer Diagnoses
Pain is a prevalent cancer-associated symptom reported by more than 65% of patients with advanced cancer. 1 Cannabis has shown potential in treating cancer-related pain and alleviating adverse effects from
Oct 2025
Cannabis and pediatric cannabis exposure – evidence from America’s Poison Centers
Background: There is limited evidence from systematic nationwide studies evaluating the impact of cannabis legalization on cannabis-related exposures among the pediatric population. Using the National Poison Data System (NPDS), we
Oct 2025
Section 1115 Substance Use Disorder Waivers: Opportunities and Limitations
In 2022, 48.7 million people in the United States (17.3% of the population aged 12 or older), met criteria for substance use disorder (SUD). Nearly 40% of people with opioid
Oct 2025
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects one in ten Americans. As one of the largest payers of AUD treatment in the United States, Medicaid managed care plays a key role in
