Prescription Drug Dispensing and Patient Costs After Implementation of a No Behavioral Health Cost-Sharing Law.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

On January 1, 2022, New Mexico implemented a No Behavioral Cost-Sharing (NCS) law that eliminated cost-sharing for mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) treatments in plans regulated by the state, potentially reducing a barrier to treatment for MH/SUDs among the commercially insured; however, the outcomes of the law are unknown.

Objective

To assess the association of implementation of the NCS with out-of-pocket spending for prescription for drugs primarily used to treat MH/SUDs and monthly volume of dispensed drugs.

Design, settings, and participants

This retrospective cohort study used a difference-in-differences research design to examine trends in outcomes for New Mexico state employees, a population affected by the NCS, compared with federal

SUBMITTER: Golberstein E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10960196 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature