Addiction and Recovery Treatment Services
In response to a local and national opioid epidemic, Virginia Medicaid implemented the Addiction Recovery Treatment Services (ARTS) program in April 2017 to increase access to treatment for Medicaid members with opioid and other substance use disorders. To allow Medicaid payment for residential treatment services, Virginia received a Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Department of Medical Assistance Services is contracting with VCU OME to conduct an independent evaluation of the ARTS benefit, as required by CMS.
Our evaluation's goal is to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the impacts of the ARTS program by analyzing changes in addiction treatment access, utilization and costs. Publications, public reports, and policy briefs are available below.
June 2025
Marks SJ, Vega V, Zhu D, Shadowen H, Harrell A, Lowe J, Mitchell A, Barnes AJ, Cunningham PJ. Challenges Faced by Medicaid Managed Care Coordinators Working With Members With Substance Use Disorder. Am J Manag Care, 2025;31(6):294-e301. doi:10.37765/ajmc.2025.89752
July 2024
Bachireddy C, Harrell A, Barnes AJ. How Virginia Reformed Medicaid to Accelerate Access To Addiction Treatment. Health Affairs Forefront. July 26, 2024.
June 2024
Salehian S, Cunningham P, Barnes A, Lee SD. The Cumulative Effect of Expanding the Breadth and Scope of Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Treatment on Behavioral Health Acute Inpatient Admissions: Evidence from Virginia Medicaid. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Jun 14;21(6):777. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21060777. PMID: 38929023; PMCID: PMC11204056.
May 2024
Marks SJ, Pham H, McCray N, Palazzolo J, Harrell A, Lowe J, Bachireddy C, Guerra L, Cunningham PJ, Barnes AJ. Patient experiences with outpatient opioid use disorder treatment before and during COVID-19: results from a survey of Medicaid members. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2024 May 3;50(3):357-370. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2024.2328543. Epub 2024 May 17. PMID: 38759212.
February 2024
Urmi AF, Britton E, Saunders H, Harrell A, Bachireddy C, Lowe J, Barnes AJ, Cunningham P. Changes in buprenorphine waivered provider supply after Virginia Medicaid implements the addiction and recovery treatment services program and Medicaid expansion. J Subst Use Addict Treat. 2024 Feb;157:209213. doi: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209213. Epub 2023 Nov 18. PMID: 37981241.
November 2023
Substance Use Disorders Among Formerly Incarcerated Adults on Medicaid
July 2023
Marks SJ, Pham H, McCray N, Palazzolo J, Harrell A, Lowe J, Bachireddy C, Guerra L, Cunningham P, Barnes AJ. Associations between patient-reported experiences with opioid use disorder treatment and unmet treatment needs and discontinuation among Virginia Medicaid members. Subst Abus. 2023 Jul;44(3):196-208. doi: 10.1177/08897077231186218. Epub 2023 Sep 14. PMID: 37710989.
May 2023
Care Coordinator Experiences in the Virginia Medicaid Program
April 2023
Addiction and Recovery Treatment Services Evaluation Report for FY20, FY21, FY22
May 2022
Experiences with Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Services in the Medicaid Program
Addiction and Recovery Treatment Services Evaluation Report for FY19 and FY20
February 2022
Saunders H, Britton E, Cunningham P, Saxe Walker L, Harrell A, Scialli A, Lowe J. Medicaid participation among practitioners authorized to prescribe buprenorphine. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2022 Feb;133:108513. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108513. Epub 2021 Jun 1. PMID: 34148758.
July 2021
ARTS Access, Utilization, and Quality of Care 2016-2019
May 2020
Diagnosis and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Among Pregnant Women
February 2020
Barnes AJ, Cunningham PJ, Saxe-Walker L, Britton E, Sheng Y, Boynton M, Harper K, Harrell A, Bachireddy C, Montz E, Neuhausen K. Hospital Use Declines After Implementation Of Virginia Medicaid's Addiction And Recovery Treatment Services. Health Aff (Millwood). 2020 Feb;39(2):238-246. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00525. PMID: 32011949.
February 2019
Substance Use Disorder Treatment in Virginia: A Role For Medicaid Expansion
January 2019
Opioid Prescribing for Medicaid Members Drops Sharply After 2016
August 2018
March 2018
Many buprenorphine users receive no other services for addiction disorders
January 2018
September 2017
First report on VCU's evaluation of Medicaid substance use benefit expansion