Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Boston University Medical Campus a $193,180 Project Grant under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) effective March 15, 2026, through February 28, 2031. This K01 career development award supports Dr. Auty's training and mentorship to establish herself as an independent investigator examining how Medicaid Managed Care (MMC) networks and policies influence access to care and health outcomes for individuals with opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders. The research specifically targets pregnant women with opioid use disorder (PWOUD), a population at elevated risk for severe maternal morbidity and mortality.

The grant funds three primary research objectives: (1) measuring the adequacy of MMC maternity and medications for opioid use disorder provider networks using standard and innovative spatial analytic methods; (2) evaluating geographic variation in network adequacy stratified by PWOUD status; and (3) estimating the impact of state-level network adequacy enforcement policies through financial penalties on service utilization and health outcomes for PWOUD. The project aims to address a critical evidence gap regarding whether current MMC provider networks are sufficient to meet the needs of this vulnerable population and whether network adequacy policies effectively improve care access and maternal health outcomes.