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Peer-reviewedCC BYHealth services research

The Effect of Opioid Abatement Funds on the Utilization of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder.

  • Jiajing Scarlette Shi1,2
  • Hefei Wen3
  1. 1Department of Public Management and Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  2. 2Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  3. 3Department of Health Policy and Management, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate whether opioid abatement fund allocations to treatment programs influence the utilization of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).Study setting and design

The study employed a synthetic difference-in-differences design and a triple-differences model using a state-year panel to estimate the effects of abatement fund spending on MOUD utilization. The study examined both general treatment allocations and MOUD-specific program funding.Data sources and analytic sample

Data on state opioid abatement fund allocations were obtained from the Kaiser Family Foundation tracker. In 2022-2023, 33 states allocated funds to general treatment and 31 to MOUD-specific programs. Treatment variables were defined as binary indicators of whether a state allocated any funds to these categories. The primary outcome was MOUD-related admissions from 2016 to 2023, obtained from the Treatment Episode Data Set-Admissions. Outcomes were measured as substance use treatment admissions per 100,000 population, MOUD admissions per 100,000 population, and MOUD admissions as the proportion of all substance use treatment admissions.Principal findings

Spending in the general treatment category led to a 13.2% increase in overall substance use treatment admissions (p = 0.06), but not with MOUD utilization. In states prohibiting supplantation, defined as prohibiting the use of abatement funds to replace existing opioid program expenditures, both general treatment and MOUD-specific allocations significantly increased MOUD admission rates by 232.7% (p = 0.009) and 157.7% (p = 0.07), respectively. No significant effects were observed in states allowing supplantation. Among individuals with opioid use disorder, allocations on both general treatment and MOUD-specific programs in no-supplantation states significantly increased substance use treatment admissions.Conclusions

General treatment investments modestly increase overall substance use treatment utilization, but effects on MOUD utilization were not detectable in the early implementation period. Exploratory analyses suggest larger effects in states prohibiting supplantation, though these estimates rest on few comparison states and require further confirmation.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{shi2026effect,
  title = {{The Effect of Opioid Abatement Funds on the Utilization of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder.}},
  author = {Jiajing Scarlette Shi and Hefei Wen},
  journal = {Health services research},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1111/1475-6773.70173},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42973177},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - The Effect of Opioid Abatement Funds on the Utilization of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder.
AU  - Jiajing Scarlette Shi
AU  - Hefei Wen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/03
JO  - Health services research
DO  - 10.1111/1475-6773.70173
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42973177
AB  - Objective  To evaluate whether opioid abatement fund allocations to treatment programs influence the utilization of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).Study setting and design  The study employed a synthetic difference-in-differences design and a triple-differences model using a state-year panel to estimate the effects of abatement fund spending on MOUD utilization. The study examined both general treatment allocations and MOUD-specific program funding.Data sources and analytic sample  Data on state opioid abatement fund allocations were obtained from the Kaiser Family Foundation tracker. In 2022-2023, 33 states allocated funds to general treatment and 31 to MOUD-specific programs. Treatment variables were defined as binary indicators of whether a state allocated any funds to these categories. The primary outcome was MOUD-related admissions from 2016 to 2023, obtained from the Treatment Episode Data Set-Admissions. Outcomes were measured as substance use treatment admissions per 100,000 population, MOUD admissions per 100,000 population, and MOUD admissions as the proportion of all substance use treatment admissions.Principal findings  Spending in the general treatment category led to a 13.2% increase in overall substance use treatment admissions (p = 0.06), but not with MOUD utilization. In states prohibiting supplantation, defined as prohibiting the use of abatement funds to replace existing opioid program expenditures, both general treatment and MOUD-specific allocations significantly increased MOUD admission rates by 232.7% (p = 0.009) and 157.7% (p = 0.07), respectively. No significant effects were observed in states allowing supplantation. Among individuals with opioid use disorder, allocations on both general treatment and MOUD-specific programs in no-supplantation states significantly increased substance use treatment admissions.Conclusions  General treatment investments modestly increase overall substance use treatment utilization, but effects on MOUD utilization were not detectable in the early implementation period. Exploratory analyses suggest larger effects in states prohibiting supplantation, though these estimates rest on few comparison states and require further confirmation.
SN  - 0017-9124
SN  - 1475-6773
ER  -