Coverage Limitations for Use of Urine Drug Testing in a State Medicaid Program

Is a state Medicaid policy that limited reimbursement for urine drug testing (UDT) associated with UDT utilization, expenditures, and clinical outcomes in opioid use disorder care?In this cross-sectional study of 900 678 participants, enactment of UDT coverage policy was associated with immediate and sustained reductions in UDT utilization and expenditures, without any associated change in access to medications for opioid use disorder.These findings suggest that policies that limit reimbursement for UDT may reduce low-value utilization without interrupting access to care.

Corresponding Author: Michael A. Incze, MD, MSEd, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Utah, 30 N Mario Capecchi Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (michael.incze@hsc.utah.edu).

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