Table 1.
Characteristics of Rhode Island Medicaid recipients, overall and by opioid agonist therapy enrollment status (i.e., non-enrolled vs. enrolled within 6 months of index event), July 2013 – June 2018*
| Characteristic | Overall (N = 17,449) | Non-enrolled† (n = 10,112) | Enrolled† (n = 7,337) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | |||
| 18–29 | 2,420 (14%) | 1,575 (16%) | 845 (12%) |
| 30–39 | 5,254 (30%) | 2,695 (27%) | 2,559 (35%) |
| 40–59 | 7,750 (44%) | 4,457 (44%) | 3,293 (45%) |
| ≥60 | 2,025 (12%) | 1,385 (14%) | 640 (9%) |
| Gender (male) | 9,894 (57%) | 5,716 (57%) | 4,178 (57%) |
| Race (non-white) | 4,806 (28%) | 3,160 (31%) | 1,646 (22%) |
| Prior diagnoses | |||
| Anxiety | 7,145 (41%) | 5,526 (55%) | 1,619 (22%) |
| Depression | 5,909 (34%) | 4,480 (44%) | 1,429 (19%) |
| Any other mental illness | 7,128 (41%) | 5,509 (54%) | 1,619 (22%) |
| Mental health treatment (outpatient) | 8,428 (48%) | 6,418 (63%) | 2,010 (27%) |
| Mental health treatment (inpatient) | 2,280 (13%) | 1,913 (19%) | 367 (5%) |
| Mental health treatment (outpatient or inpatient) | 8,657 (50%) | 6,578 (38%) | 2,079 (28%) |
| Alcohol use disorder | 4,693 (27%) | 3,875 (38%) | 818 (11%) |
| Substance use disorder (non-opioid) | 8,360 (48%) | 6,418 (63%) | 1,942 (26%) |
| Hepatitis C | 1,097 (6%) | 815 (8%) | 282 (4%) |
| Back problems | 6,174 (35%) | 4,817 (48%) | 1,357 (18%) |
| Pregnancy | 1,149 (7%) | 641 (6%) | 508 (7%) |
| Complicated pregnancy | 268 (2%) | 191 (2%) | 77 (1%) |
| One or more prior overdose | 1,634 (9%) | 1,467(15%) | 167(2%) |
| Subsequent diagnoses | |||
| Subsequent overdose | 284 (2%) | 259 (3%) | 31 (0.4%) |
| Subsequent diagnosis of OUD | 7,788 (45%) | 5322 (53%) | 2466 (34%) |
| Health care utilization | |||
| PCP visits above 75th percentile | 4,722 (27%) | 2,680 (27%) | 2,042 (28%) |
| ED visits above 75th percentile | 5,179 (30%) | 2,690 (27%) | 2,489 (34%) |
| Socioeconomic factors | |||
| Zero wages | 13,324 (76%) | 7,573 (75%) | 5,661 (77%) |
| Employed at temp agency | 1,767 (10%) | 1,141 (11%) | 626 (9%) |
| Employed in construction | 428 (2%) | 243 (2%) | 185 (3%) |
| Cash assistance eligibility | 1,080 (6%) | 561 (6%) | 519 (7%) |
| Prior incarceration | 3,614 (21%) | 2,404 (24%) | 1,210 (16%) |
PCP = primary care provider; ED = emergency department; OUD = opioid use disorder
*
Data are presented as number (percentage) of patients. Index event was defined as a patient’s initial opioid overdose or diagnosis of OUD between July 2013 and June 2018.
†
p < 0.0001 for χ2 comparison of each characteristic category except gender, age 40–59, pregnancy, and employed in construction (all p > 0.05); Zero wages (p <0.001), PCP visits above 75th percentile (p = 0.05)