Some health care facilities in Massachusetts that care for patients after hospitalization are more likely to reject those with an opioid use disorder than patients who don't have the disorder, a new study from Boston Medical researchers finds.
The research, published in this month's Health Affairs, compared placements in skilled nursing, rehabilitation hospitals and other post-acute facilities for patients with and without opioid use disorder . It found patients with OUD were rejected twice as often.
The study looked at 2,463 hospitalizations at Boston Medical Center that resulted in 16,503 referrals to 244 private post-acute care facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2018. Massachusetts has the second-highest rate of opioid-related hospitalizations in the country. Kimmel said he's concerned the study may not have captured the full extent of the issue, because case managers often automatically refer patients to those post-acute care facilities that are known to accept OUD patients. Many facilities may not have the necessary infrastructure to accept such patients, he said, or provide medications to treat addiction. But, Kimmel added, rejecting patients because of OUD is a violation of state policies and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.