TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors associated with state legislators’ support for opioid use disorder parity laws
AU - Nelson, Katherine L.
AU - Purtle, Jonathan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2020/8
Y1 - 2020/8
N2 - Background: In the United States, state behavioral health parity laws play a crucial role in ensuring equitable insurance coverage and access to substance use disorder treatment and services for people that need them. State legislators have the exclusive authority to adopt these laws. The purpose of this study was to identify legislator beliefs independently associated with “strong support” for opioid use disorder (OUD) parity. Methods: Data were from a 2017 cross-sectional, state-stratified, multi-modal survey of state legislators (N = 475). The dependent variable was “strong support” for OUD parity. Primary independent variables were beliefs about state parity laws. Bivariate analyses and mixed effects logistic regression were conducted. Results: Legislators who “strongly supported” OUD parity were significantly more likely than legislators who did not “strongly support” OUD parity to be female (64.1% vs. 46.5%, p<.001), Democrat (76.2% vs. 29.3%, p<.001), and have liberal, compared to conservative, ideology (85.6% vs. 27.1%, p<.001). After adjusting for legislator demographics and state-level covariates, beliefs such as agreeing that state parity laws do not increase health insurance premium costs (aOR=6.77, p<.01) and that substance use disorder treatments can be effective (aOR=5.00, p<.001) remained associated with “strong support” for OUD parity. These state legislators’ beliefs were more strongly associated with “strong support” for OUD parity than political party, ideology, and other demographic and state-level characteristics. Conclusions: Dissemination materials and communication strategies to cultivate support for OUD parity laws among state legislators should focus on the fiscal impacts of parity laws and the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatments.
AB - Background: In the United States, state behavioral health parity laws play a crucial role in ensuring equitable insurance coverage and access to substance use disorder treatment and services for people that need them. State legislators have the exclusive authority to adopt these laws. The purpose of this study was to identify legislator beliefs independently associated with “strong support” for opioid use disorder (OUD) parity. Methods: Data were from a 2017 cross-sectional, state-stratified, multi-modal survey of state legislators (N = 475). The dependent variable was “strong support” for OUD parity. Primary independent variables were beliefs about state parity laws. Bivariate analyses and mixed effects logistic regression were conducted. Results: Legislators who “strongly supported” OUD parity were significantly more likely than legislators who did not “strongly support” OUD parity to be female (64.1% vs. 46.5%, p<.001), Democrat (76.2% vs. 29.3%, p<.001), and have liberal, compared to conservative, ideology (85.6% vs. 27.1%, p<.001). After adjusting for legislator demographics and state-level covariates, beliefs such as agreeing that state parity laws do not increase health insurance premium costs (aOR=6.77, p<.01) and that substance use disorder treatments can be effective (aOR=5.00, p<.001) remained associated with “strong support” for OUD parity. These state legislators’ beliefs were more strongly associated with “strong support” for OUD parity than political party, ideology, and other demographic and state-level characteristics. Conclusions: Dissemination materials and communication strategies to cultivate support for OUD parity laws among state legislators should focus on the fiscal impacts of parity laws and the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatments.
KW - Behavioral health parity laws
KW - Opioid use disorder
KW - State legislators
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - United States
KW - Humans
KW - Opioid-Related Disorders
KW - Female
KW - Logistic Models
KW - Politics
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U2 - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102792
DO - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102792
M3 - Article
C2 - 32540516
AN - SCOPUS:85086365960
SN - 0955-3959
VL - 82
JO - International Journal of Drug Policy
JF - International Journal of Drug Policy
M1 - 102792
ER -