Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39791842›Full record

ArticleMedical care2025

Medicaid Policy and Hepatitis C Treatment Among Rural People Who Use Drugs.

Thomas J Stopka, Bridget M Whitney, David de Gijsel, Daniel L Brook, Peter D Friedmann, Lynn E Taylor, Judith Feinberg, April M Young, Donna M Evon, Megan Herink and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Medical care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Thomas J StopkaDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.ORCID 0000-0003-2314-8924
Bridget M WhitneyDepartment of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
David de GijselDepartment of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
Daniel L BrookCollege of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Peter D FriedmannUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate, Worcester, MA.
Lynn E TaylorDepartment of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.
Judith FeinbergDepartments of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry & Medicine/Infectious Diseases, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV.
April M YoungDepartment of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
Donna M EvonDepartment of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
Megan HerinkCollege of Pharmacy, Oregon State University/Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR.
Ryan WestergaardUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
Ruth KoepkeUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
Jennifer R HavensDepartment of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY.
William A ZuleRTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC.
Joseph A DelaneyDepartment of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Mai T PhoDepartment of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases & Global Health, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.

Funding

Ending transmission of HIV, HCV, and STDs and overdose in rural communities of people who inject drugs (ETHIC)UH3DA044829 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · PI JENKINS, WILEY, PHO, MAI TUYET · 2019 to 2022
$5.2M
Kentucky Communities and Researchers Engaging to Halt the Opioid Epidemic (CARE2HOPE)UH3DA044798 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI COOPER, HANNAH LF, YOUNG, APRIL MARIE · 2019 to 2022
$4.4M
Oregon HIV/Hepatitis and Opioid Prevention and Engagement (OR-HOPE) Study Cost ExtensionUH3DA044831 · NIDA · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI KORTHUIS, PHILIP TODD · 2019 to 2022
$4.0M
Drug Injection Surveillance and Care Enhancement for Rural Northern New England (DISCERNNE)UH3DA044830 · NIDA · BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER, INC. · PI FRIEDMANN, PETER D, STOPKA, THOMAS J · 2019 to 2022
$3.9M
Rural Comorbidity and HIV consequences of Opioid use Research and Treatment Initiative (Rural cohort)U24DA048538 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI CRANE, HEIDI M., TSUI, JUDITH · 2019 to 2023
$3.7M
Next-Generation Sequencing Center for GHOSTing Hepatitis C Virus: Transforming Community Based Molecular Surveillance and Outbreak InvestigationU24DA044801 · NIDA · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI ALLEN, TODD M · 2017 to 2022
$3.3M
Community-based, client-centered prevention homes to address the rural opioid epidemicUH3DA044826 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI SEAL, DAVID W, WESTERGAARD, RYAN PATRICK · 2019 to 2022
$2.6M
Mitigating the Outcomes Associated with the Injection Drug Use Epidemic in Southern AppalachiaUH3DA044823 · NIDA · RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE · PI ZULE, WILLIAM A · 2019 to 2021
$2.4M
Drug Injection Surveillance and Care Enhancement for Rural Northern New England (DISCERNNE)UG3DA044830 · NIDA · BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER, INC. · PI FRIEDMANN, PETER D · 2017 to 2018
$1.6M
Community-based, client-centered prevention homes to address the rural opioid epidemicUG3DA044826 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI SEAL, DAVID W, WESTERGAARD, RYAN PATRICK · 2017 to 2018
$1.4M
Kentucky Communities & Researchers Engaging to Halt the Opioid Epidemic-CARE2HOPEUG3DA044798 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI COOPER, HANNAH LF, YOUNG, APRIL MARIE · 2017 to 2018
$1.3M
Mitigating the Outcomes Associated with the Injection Drug Use Epidemic in Southern AppalachiaUG3DA044823 · NIDA · RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE · PI ZULE, WILLIAM A · 2017 to 2018
$1.2M
NIDA NIH HHS U24 DA044801NIDA NIH HHS U24 DA048538NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044798NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044823NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044826NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044829NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044830NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044831NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044798NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044823NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044826NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044829NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044830NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044831
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRestrictive Medicaid policies regarding hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment may exacerbate rural health care disparities for people who use drugs (PWUD). We assessed associations between Medicaid restrictions and HCV treatment among rural PWUD.

methodsWe compiled state-specific Medicaid treatment policies across 8 US rural sites in 10 states and merged these with participant survey data. We hypothesized that local restrictions regarding prescriber type, sobriety, and fibrosis estimates were associated with HCV treatment outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional, ecological analysis of treatment restrictions and HCV treatment outcomes using bivariate analyses to characterize differences between PWUD who initiated HCV treatment and unadjusted logistic regressions to assess associations between restrictions and treatment.

resultsAmong 944 participants, 111 (12%) reported receiving HCV treatment. Participants receiving treatment were older [median age (interquartile range): 42 (34-53) vs. 35 (29-42), P<0.001], more likely to receive disability support (32% vs. 20%, P=0.002), and less likely to be Medicaid-insured (57% vs. 71%, P < 0.001). More PWUD in states without any restrictions reported receiving treatment (17% vs. 11%, P=0.08) and achieving HCV cure/clearance (42% vs. 30%, P=0.01) than in states with restrictions. Restrictions were associated with lower odds of receiving HCV treatment (odds ratio=0.61, 95% CI: 0.35-1.06, P=0.08). Sensitivity analyses showed a similar association with HCV cure/clearance (odds ratio=0.60, 95% CI: 0.40-0.91, P=0.02).

conclusionsWe identified significant unadjusted associations between Medicaid restrictions and receipt of HCV treatment and cure, which has substantial implications for health outcomes among rural PWUD. Lifting remaining Medicaid restrictions will be critical to achieving HCV elimination.

Indexed as

Hepatitis CMedicaidRural PopulationAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealthcare DisparitiesHealth PolicyHealth Services AccessibilityHumansMaleMiddle AgedUnited States

Identifiers

PMID39791842
PMCPMC11731889

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.