Medicaid expansion improved access to opioid addiction treatment in Oklahoma, study says
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A study found that Oklahoma's Medicaid expansion led to a significant increase in access to buprenorphine, a key medication for treating opioid addiction. The expansion is estimated to have averted up to 140 overdose deaths per year.
Oklahoma's Medicaid expansion led to a significant increase in access to buprenorphine, a key medication for treating opioid addiction. Between 2019 and 2023, buprenorphine prescriptions rose by more than 21% in Oklahoma and seven other states that expanded Medicaid after 2018. The study analyzed pharmacy claims data from over 4.5 million patients and found that expanded health care coverage allowed more people to get prescriptions. The increase in buprenorphine access is estimated to have averted up to 140 overdose deaths per year. Oklahoma saw a 43% decline in overdose deaths last year, partly attributed to increased access to treatment. However, the state's gains are threatened by federal and local attacks on Medicaid, which is the largest payer of opioid use disorder treatment.
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