Published in JAMA Network Open. Here is a link to the article.
Regenstrief Institute authors: Kosali Simon, PhD, M.A.
This study examined how proximity to opioid treatment programs (OTPs) impacts methadone receipt among Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) in 2020. Using Medicare claims and drive-time data, researchers found that methadone receipt decreased as distance to an OTP increased. Urban beneficiaries living within 5 minutes of an OTP were 54% more likely to receive methadone than those 15 minutes away; in rural areas, the drop was 27%. A threshold effect was observed at a 20-minute drive time, beyond which the likelihood of methadone receipt leveled off and showed minimal differences between urban and rural populations. The findings highlight the importance of OTP location in improving access to OUD treatment.
