Availability of Extended-Release Buprenorphine to Treat Opioid Use Disorders Among Medicaid-Covered Patients

Medicaid is the largest U.S. payer for substance use disorder treatment. Its coverage of medications such as buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone for managing opioid use disorders varies by state (2, 3). Extended-release (XR) buprenorphine may improve treatment retention and reduce drug diversion. In the year after the XR-buprenorphine implant was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), only 1% of substance use disorder treatment facilities offered it (5). Using the 2018 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS), The author reports on the differences among U.S. states and the District of Columbia in the availability of the XR-buprenorphine implant and injection (FDA approved in 2017) for Medicaid-covered patients over a 1-year period (2017-2018).