About the Presentation (Medicaid ACO Contract Characteristics and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Availability: Evidence from a National Survey – Newton): Participants in Medicaid accountable care organization (ACO) contracts can choose whether or not to include substance use disorder (SUD) treatment costs into their contract’s financial benchmark (the total cost of care) and these choices could affect access to substance use disorder treatment services offered to Medicaid ACO-attributed patients. We present results from a national survey of  organizations participating in Medicaid ACO contracts to determine whether financial responsibility for SUD treatment costs was associated with differences in reported availability of screening, medication, and other services offered to patients with opioid use disorder.

About the Presenters:  Chris Miller-Rosales is an Associate Consultant at Analysis Group where he leads health economics and outcomes research projects. He received his PhD in health policy from UC Berkeley and completed postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School.

Helen Newton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her PhD and MPH from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice and received postdoctoral training at the Yale School of Public Health. Dr. Newton’s research uses administrative data – including claims and administrative surveys –  to understand how new payment policies impact behavioral health treatment, access, and quality.