Medicaid is a big deal in the United States. It covers a huge chunk of people who need help with alcohol use disorder.  The majority of Medicaid enrollees are managed by Medicaid Managed Care Plans (MCPs).  These MCPs are responsible for providing health services to nearly 80% of Medicaid enrollees.  This makes them the largest provider of addiction treatment services.

The medications naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram are evidence-based treatments for alcohol use disorder.  These medications are rarely used.  This is a problem.  Why aren't these medications being used more often?  It's a question worth asking.

Medicaid MCP policies for AUD medications are not well understood.  This is a problem.  It's hard to know what's going wrong if we don't know what's going on.  More research is needed to understand how these medications are being used and why they are not being used more often.

People with alcohol use disorder deserve the best treatment available.  This includes medications that have been proven to work.  It's time to take a closer look at how Medicaid MCPs are handling these medications.  It's time to make sure that people are getting the help they need.

Alcohol use disorder is a serious problem.  It affects millions of people in the United States.  It's time to take a closer look at how we are treating this problem.  It's time to make sure that people are getting the help they need.

The Hidden Truth About Alcohol Treatment in Medicaid

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