Manatt and Arnold Ventures Release Opioid Toolkit for State Medicaid Leaders

Toolkit identifies implementation strategies, action steps and provides examples of tools deployed by state Medicaid programs to address the substance use disorder crisis 

NEW YORK — Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, in conjunction with Arnold Ventures, announced today the release of Using Medicaid to Advance Evidence-Based Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: A Toolkit for State Medicaid Leaders. Manatt Health, the firm’s health care legal and consulting group, developed the toolkit with the support of Arnold Ventures to review promising strategies that state Medicaid programs have adopted to address the substance use disorder (SUD) crisis, and specifically the opioid epidemic.

“Medicaid is the bedrock of states’ efforts to combat the opioid epidemic sweeping across America,” said Patricia Boozang, senior managing director with Manatt Health and the toolkit’s lead author. ​“The toolkit is designed to help state leaders identify Medicaid strategies from around the nation to expand treatment and recovery supports to those with opioid use disorder (OUD), implement in their respective states and then evaluate and expand what works in order to help bring an end to this epidemic.”

The toolkit uses an evidence-based approach to highlight the most effective strategies currently being leveraged to address the SUD and opioid epidemics at the state level. Given the fast-moving nature of these national epidemics, as well as the evolving response of state and local governments, the toolkit also provides methods for monitoring and evaluating the efficacy of a chosen strategy in order to allow for timely adjustments to states’ approaches and amplify the body of evidence-based research.

The strategies addressed in the toolkit are organized into three main focus areas:

• Strategies to Increase Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment;
• Strategies to Promote Coordinated Team-Based Care for OUD; and
• Strategies to Monitor and Evaluate OUD Interventions on an Ongoing Basis.

“The development of this toolkit for state Medicaid directors was a critically important project for us,” said Sarah Twardock, public health manager with Arnold Ventures. ​“We hope that our work will help state and local governments identify and embrace Medicaid best practices for combating the opioid epidemic, which still causes more than 70,000 deaths across America each year.”

The case studies featured in the toolkit highlight innovative approaches by various states, including California, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia and Washington State, among others.

To access the full toolkit, please click here.

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is a leading professional services firm, providing integrated legal and consulting services to a global client base. With offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Sacramento), New York (New York City and Albany), Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston, the firm represents sophisticated clients — including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies — across a range of industry sectors such as healthcare; financial services; entertainment; digital and technology; and energy, environmental and real estate. For more information, visit www​.man​att​.com.

About Manatt Health

Manatt Health integrates legal and consulting expertise to better serve the complex needs of clients across the health care system. Combining legal excellence, firsthand experience in shaping public policy, sophisticated strategy insight, and deep analytic capabilities, we provide uniquely valuable professional services to the full range of health industry players. Our diverse team of more than 160 attorneys and consultants from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, and its consulting subsidiary, Manatt Health Strategies, LLC, is passionate about helping our clients advance their business interests, fulfill their missions and lead healthcare into the future. For more information, visit www​.man​att​.com/​h​ealth.

About Arnold Ventures

Arnold Ventures’ core objective is to maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. We are a philanthropy dedicated to tackling some of the most pressing problems in the United States. Arnold Ventures invests in sustainable change, building it from the ground up based on research, deep thinking and a strong foundation of evidence. We drive public conversation, craft policy and inspire action through education and advocacy. For more information on Arnold Ventures and its healthcare work, visit www​.arnold​ven​tures​.org.