The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report on Medicare and Medicaid enrollees’ access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. counties lack opioid treatment programs or any office-based providers of buprenorphine, a lifesaving MOUD. Rural areas are among the highest need areas that lack opioid treatment programs. Substance use and misuse issues are exacerbated by several unique challenges for rural communities. This includes behavioral health and detoxification services that are not as readily available, treatment access for substance use disorder may require travel long distances to access services, lack of education and resources to provide these services, and the disproportionate impact on rural communities by social determinants of health.
