The federal government seeks to improve providers’ ability to treat opioid use disorder (OUD).

The SUPPORT Act was enacted on October 24, 2018, to upgrade the nation’s response to substance use disorder. SUPPORT stands for Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities. The act authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in consultation with the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to conduct a 54-month demonstration project designed to increase the capacity of Medicaid providers to deliver substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, including OUD treatment or recovery services.

NORC is surveying clinicians and opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to understand the challenges of providing medication for OUD.  

The survey is part of a mixed-methods evaluation of the SUPPORT Act, led by IBM Consulting. Findings from this survey will help CMS, SAMHSA, and AHRQ understand how SUPPORT Act-related activities are working to improve provider capacity to prevent and treat OUD across the country. The survey is fielded to providers in the 15 states that received SUPPORT Act funding and is tailored to those who serve Medicaid beneficiaries. The first round was conducted in winter of 2023, and the next round will be implemented from January to March of 2024. In addition to the web-based survey, NORC is conducting focus groups with providers who provide substance use disorder treatment in the five SUPPORT Act Post-Planning (Demonstration) states.