BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

States are asking a variety of questions about the best ways to improve behavioral health care service delivery for Medicaid Enrollees. CHSE research evaluates potential solutions to behavioral health workforce shortages, access to care (particularly among people of color, tribal communities and other historically marginalized groups) and integration with physical health care.

Selected Works

• Statewide evaluation of Oregon’s Improving People’s Access to Community-based Treatment, Supports and Services (or IMPACTS) program, December 2024
• Effects Of Medicaid Waivers on Use Of Medications For Opioid Use Disorder And Nonfatal Overdoses In 17 States, Health Affairs,  2024
• Improving Access to Community-based Treatment Baseline Report, 2023
• Health Workforce Report to the Oregon Health Authority and State Legislature, 2022
• Issue Brief: Financial Integration of Behavioral Health in Medicaid: A New Taxonomy, 2021
• Access to Primary, Mental Health, and Specialty Care: A Comparison of Medicaid and Commercial Insured Populations in Oregon, 2020

OPIOID USE DISORDER (OUD)

Medicaid covers health care for almost 40% of people with OUD, and state Medicaid programs provide a variety of treatment services. CHSE research provides critical information to state Medicaid programs about the effectiveness of policies and interventions aimed at addressing the opioid crisis.

Selected Works

• Increased use of complementary and alternative therapies for back pain following statewide Medicaid coverage changes in Oregon, 2021

In 2021, Stephan Lindner received a National Institute of Health R01 grant to examine how Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services substance use disorder waiver designs might impact outcomes for opioid users on a national level. He and his team are partnering with OHSU Family Medicine to evaluate these waivers that allow states to test new program models to improve the care for beneficiaries with substance use disorders, including opioid use disorder.