RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A new study led by Virginia Commonwealth University has found that substance use disorders are underdiagnosed and undertreated among formerly incarcerated people in Virginia.
The study was conducted in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services.
A university spokesperson said it’s estimated that as many as 85% of people who are incarcerated in the U.S. have substance use disorders.
While most of those adults are eligible for Medicaid services after release, the study found that only 17% of formerly incarcerated Medicaid members were diagnosed with substance use disorders in Virginia.
The study found that 4,652 adults were released from county jails and state prisons in 2022, with 85% enrolling in Medicaid within one month of release.
Among those enrolled in Medicaid, a spokesperson said only 17% have visited health care providers and were diagnosed with a substance use disorder within three months, including 13% with an opioid use disorder.
“Of those who were formerly incarcerated and diagnosed with an opioid use disorder, only about 25% went on to receive medications to treat their addiction,” a university spokesperson said. “By comparison, 78% of all Medicaid members diagnosed with an opioid use disorder in Virginia received medications.”
Researchers noted that many barriers could be contributing to these gaps in addiction treatment, including the instability many formerly incarcerated adults experience after their release, as well as limitations in access to Medicaid services set by federal policies.
While the majority of people in the criminal justice system qualify for Medicaid, only emergency hospital services are covered as they serve their sentence, according to the university. Most other benefits – including treatments for substance use disorders – are prohibited by federal law until after a person is released from prison.
Looking ahead, the university said researchers are surveying formerly incarcerated Medicaid members to pinpoint some of the barriers they experience when seeking addiction treatment after prison.
