MADISON, Wis. (NBC 26) — A new study by UW Health has some encouraging outcomes in the fight against the opioid epidemic.
The study found Medicaid patients were less likely to overdose the longer they took their medications to treat opioid use disorder.
Researchers followed up with nearly 300,000 patients in Wisconsin and 10 other states over a year-long period.
"Policies and programs that health systems and health plans can put in place to facilitate ongoing treatment, (and) make it easy for folks to remain in treatment is really important," UW Health Department of Population Health Sciences associate professor Marguerite Burns said.
Burns says the best way for Wisconsin Medicaid patients to access treatments is to contact their primary care physician.
