Our findings suggest roughly 3 million young people ages 12 to 25 are misusing opioids. Effective, culturally relevant prevention education and early intervention for substance use are needed as early as elementary school.
Despite the prevalence of unhealthy opioid use among Medicaid-enrolled young people, few are screened or receive substance use treatment, even with frequent contact with health care providers.
Several strategies and policies could help Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program promote prevention and early intervention, improve youth substance use services, and expand access to care in schools and the community.
Though parents at various income levels faced health challenges and problems accessing and affording health care in spring 2021, parents with low incomes faced the steepest adversity.
Compared with workers with traditional jobs, adults with nonstandard work arrangements are less likely to be covered by employer-sponsored health insurance and are more likely to have difficulty paying for housing, food, and medical care.
