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SUPPORT Act Provider Survey

Methadone - a substance that acts on opioid receptors and is primarily used for pain relief and anesthesia.
Implementing a survey of providers who prescribe buprenorphine and of opioid treatment programs
  • Client
    Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
  • Dates
    2020 - 2025

Problem

The federal government seeks to improve providers’ ability to treat opioid use disorder (OUD).

The SUPPORT Act, was enacted on October 24, 2018, to upgrade the nation’s response to substance use disorder. SUPPORT stands for Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities. The act authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in consultation with the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to conduct a 54-month demonstration project designed to increase the capacity of Medicaid providers to deliver substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, including OUD treatment or recovery services.

Solution

NORC is surveying providers to understand barriers and enablers to prescribing medication for OUD treatment.

The survey is part of a mixed-methods evaluation of the SUPPORT Act led by IBM Consulting. Findings from this survey will help CMS, SAMHSA, and AHRQ understand how SUPPORT Act-related activities are working to improve provider capacity to prevent and treat OUD across the country. The survey is tailored to providers who serve Medicaid beneficiaries. It will be conducted once in 2023 and once in 2024 in the 15 states that received SUPPORT Act funding. In addition to the web-based survey, NORC is administering focus groups of providers who treat Medicaid beneficiaries experiencing OUD and other SUDs in the five SUPPORT Act Demonstration states.

Result

The first web-based survey started in January 2023 and will last approximately two months. 

Findings will help CMS and it partner agencies understand how states have improved their capacity to assess and manage opioid treatment and recovery services. 

You can find the survey questionnaire by clicking the following link: Survey of Medicaid Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Providers.

Related Tags

Project Leads

FAQ

Yes! Absolutely! If you were asked to participate, it is very important that your experiences are represented. Findings from this survey are critical for understanding how SUPPORT Act-related activities are working, and how they could be improved to better serve Medicaid beneficiaries across the country.

Look for an email from SUPPORT-Act@norc.org or a letter invitation to take the survey. The email or letter will contain a unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) and a URL and QR code for you to take the survey online.

We obtained your contact information from the SAMHSA Buprenorphine Practitioner Locator, the state Medicaid agency, or from the State Opioid Treatment Authority.

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