The Effect of Continuous Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Hepatitis C Care Among Persons with Opioid Use Disorder

Among persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) who gave birth in 2015, over 1 in 5 had hepatitis C virus (HCV). Treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) decreases the risk of liver complications and mortality and eliminates mother-to-child HCV transmission for future pregnancies.  However, while over 81% of pregnant people with OUD have Medicaid at delivery, over 20% of individuals with pregnancy-related Medicaid were found to face gaps in coverage and reduced access to postpartum healthcare.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) and Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, provide a unique opportunity to examine the effect of extended postpartum coverage and continuous insurance enrollment on OUD and HCV care. This pilot study will leverage 2014-2023 data from TriNetX, a national linked database, to determine the effect of extended postpartum Medicaid coverage on HCV testing, linkage to care, and treatment with DAAs among postpartum persons with OUD.

Breanne (Bre) Biondi is a doctoral candidate in health services and policy research at the Boston University School of Public Health. Before starting her doctoral program, Biondi oversaw clinical research studies that enrolled persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) and HIV. Her direct interactions with research participants for these studies furthered her commitment to helping persons with OUD. Yet, she felt she could make a larger impact by studying and advocating for policies that address substance use treatment, harm reduction, and increased access to health insurance. Her research investigates how policies affect access to medication treatment for opioid use disorder and treatment outcomes. Biondi has a strong background in quantitative and quasi-experimental methods and has enjoyed helping others learn those methods as a teaching assistant for quantitative methods courses. She received her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the Rutgers School of Public Health and her Bachelor of Arts from Muhlenberg College.