1060: What States Can Learn from Massachusetts and Medicaid Leaders

What does it take for states to expand access to substance use disorder treatment and build stronger, more sustainable partnerships between Medicaid and public health?  In Massachusetts, leaders changed policies around provider models to increase access to care for opioid use disorder: Frances McGaffey, Manager of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts, explains how pairing providers with dedicated nursing support has helped remove barriers to prescribing buprenorphine, expand the addiction workforce, and dramatically increase access to care. She also shares why the state’s decision to extend this model to alcohol and stimulant use disorders is a critical response to a changing overdose crisis, and what other states can do to replicate this success.  Then, Corey Caldwell, Senior Policy Analyst at the National Association of Medicaid Directors discusses the new Medicaid Leaders Playbook for Building Public Health Partnerships, developed in collaboration with ASTHO. Corey outlines practical, real-world steps Medicaid and public health agencies can take to align priorities, address funding and workforce challenges, launch small but impactful pilot projects, and build trust across systems.Understanding Current U.S. Measles Outbreaks and Elimination Status | ASTHO