The goal of this research is to estimate the effects of increased Medicaid availability for adults released from prison in Wisconsin on treatment access, use, and outcomes for opioid use disorder (OUD). Specifically, this research investigated the degree to which two policy changes affecting Medicaid eligibility for low-income, childless adults were associated with increased use of medications for addiction treatment (MAT) by adults with opioid use disorder during the first six months after release from prison. Researchers created a novel longitudinal database of Wisconsin Medicaid claims data linked to administrative and correctional health systems data for a retrospectively defined cohort of adults who were incarcerated and released from a state prison between 2013-17. This will allow an in-depth analysis of the utilization of MAT by people diagnosed with OUD during community re-entry. This work has the potential to inform health policy nationally by documenting health gains and potential reductions in recidivism that may result from increased access to MAT through the expansion of Medicaid.

Study Settings: Jails/Prisons