Association between opioid overdose and health plan disenrollment with mitigating impact of buprenorphine initiation

Context: Health plan disenrollment has been associated with higher mortality in patients with opioid use disorder. Insurance loss and health plan disenrollment might be downstream social consequences of opioid misuse and overdose that may heighten patient mortality risks during a period of heightened need for professional assistance. Objective: To test hypotheses that: 1) overdose events in patients prescribed long-term opioids are associated with subsequent health plan disenrollment; and 2) buprenorphine initiation after overdose would attenuate this association. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting and Dataset: Data from the Optum Labs Data Warehouse which includes de-identified medical and pharmacy claims and enrollment records for commercial and Medicare Advantage enrollees. The database contains longitudinal health information on patients, representing a mixture of ages, ethnicities, and geographical regions across the United States. Population studied: Adults (aged [greater than or equal to] 18 years) prescribed stable, opioid therapy for a 6-month baseline period ([greater than or equal to] 90% of days covered,
Presenters Joshua Fenton, MD, MPH, Daniel Tancredi, PhD, Alicia Agnoli, MD, MHS, MPH, Stephen Henry, MD, MSc, Iraklis Erik Tseregounis, PhD, Elizabeth Magnan, MD, [...]