Thematic Analysis of State Medicaid Buprenorphine Prior Authorization Requirements.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Prior authorization (PA) requirements for buprenorphine are associated with lower provision of the medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). While Medicare plans have eliminated PA requirements for buprenorphine, many Medicaid plans continue to require them.

Objective

To describe and classify buprenorphine coverage requirements based on thematic analysis of state Medicaid PA forms.

Design, setting, and participants

This qualitative study used a thematic analysis of 50 states' Medicaid PA forms for buprenorphine between November 2020 and March 2021. Forms were obtained from the jurisdiction's Medicaid websites and assessed for features suggesting barriers to buprenorphine access. A coding tool was developed based on a review of a sample of f

SUBMITTER: Nguemeni Tiako MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10273019 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature