Associations Between Copays, Coverage Limits for Naloxone, and Prescribing in Medicaid

This cross-sectional study of Medicaid fee-for-service naloxone dispensing found substantial variation across states in naloxone prescription rates, with a positive relationship between copays and generic naloxone dispensing in the primary analysis, though this relationship was not confirmed in sensitivity analyses, and no other meaningful associations between plan design features and naloxone dispensing were identified. The authors conclude that further evaluation is needed to determine whether Medicaid drug benefit designs influence naloxone use before implementing plan design changes that could limit access to this life-saving medication.