In support of the Washington Health Care Authority’s strategy for improving treatment and recovery services under the SUPPORT ACT grant awarded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, we examined service utilization by Medicaid beneficiaries who had a substance use disorder (SUD)-related acute event during 2018. This three-report series examines:
- Part 1: The frequency of SUD-related acute events among Medicaid beneficiaries and the rates of these events across various demographic characteristics.
- Part 2: The rates of subsequent SUD-related acute events, emergency department and hospital utilization, and receipt of SUD services within 3 and 12 months of an initial SUD-related acute event.
- Part 3: The rate of receipt of mental health services, support services, deaths, and arrests within 3 and 12 months of an initial SUD-related acute event.
Understanding the current utilization of behavioral health treatment and recovery support services is crucial to identifying both strengths and gaps in the existing behavioral health system in Washington state. The patterns observed in these reports highlight areas that may be underutilized as points of intervention for those receiving SUD-related acute care services.
