Medicare Enrollees Struggle With Opioid Abuse, Treatment Access

More than 1 million Medicare beneficiaries were diagnosed with opioid use disorder in 2021, but fewer than 20% received medication to treat their disorder, a federal watchdog agency reported Thursday.

“This low proportion may indicate that beneficiaries have challenges accessing treatment,” the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General said in a data brief on the issue.

Three medications are approved for treating opioid use disorder: buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. The FDA recommends that each be available to all patients since one may be more appropriate for some patients than others.

A 2021 OIG report recommended the ...