Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts Awards Grant to Urban Institute for New Effort on Medicaid and Access to Opioid Use Disorder Medications

/EIN News/ -- New York, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) today announced a $250,500 grant to the Urban Institute to build and maintain a public-facing data dashboard that will track Medicaid coverage of medications used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) and reverse opioid overdoses. As Medicaid is the largest payer of OUD treatment in the United States, changes to the program could impact recent progress in reducing overdose deaths by approximately 25% over the past year.

“As the single largest payer of OUD treatment, Medicaid is a lifeline for many individuals, including low-income youth, pregnant and parenting patients, justice-involved populations, and historically underserved communities,” said Karen A. Scott, MD, MPH, President of FORE. “This dashboard will provide actionable data that helps decision-makers respond effectively to maintain access to lifesaving medications.”

“The opioid and overdose crisis remains a pressing public health emergency, and policymakers need timely, transparent data to understand how policy decisions affect access to treatment,” said Lisa Clemans-Cope, PhD, Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute. “Our goal is to provide a trusted resource that helps ensure people continue to get the care they need, when they need it.”

This effort builds on FORE’s broader work related to Medicaid. Earlier this year, FORE hosted a national webinar, Medicaid’s Ongoing Critical Role in the U.S. Response to the Opioid and Overdose Crisis, which explored the program’s essential contributions to prevention, treatment access, and recovery services.

Additional tools and insights—including webinar recordings, policy briefs, and research—are available in this Medicaid Resources document, offering stakeholders practical guidance for navigating and shaping Medicaid policy.

In addition to the dashboard, the Urban Institute will publish a series of issue briefs to inform federal and state Medicaid policymakers, congressional staff, managed care plans, and other stakeholders about the evolving landscape of OUD medication access. This grant is part of FORE’s commitment to advancing policy solutions that expand access to effective OUD treatment nationwide.

About the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE)
Founded in 2018, FORE is a national 501(c)(3) grant-making foundation dedicated to addressing the nation’s opioid crisis. Through strategic grantmaking, convening stakeholders, and developing informational resources, FORE supports patient-centered, innovative solutions that drive long-term change. To date, FORE has awarded 119 grants totaling $47.7 million to 102 organizations. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X (Twitter) for updates.

Myrna Manners
                    Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts 
                    718-986-7255
                    mmanners@mannersdotson.com