In 2020, only 11.3% of adults with opioid use disorder received Medication-Assisted Treatment, even as the need for it kept rising. At the same time, buprenorphine and methadone are among the most studied tools we have, cutting overdose deaths, lowering hospitalization, and improving retention while costing far less than many alternatives. How can treatment that saves lives and money reach so few people, especially in rural counties with fewer providers?
Key Takeaways
- Only 11.3% of adults with opioid use disorder received MAT in 2020
- 1.5 million people needed MAT but only 20% accessed it in 2019
- Buprenorphine waiver providers cover only 48% of US counties
- MAT saves $20,000 per patient annually in healthcare costs
- Every $1 invested in MAT yields $4-7 in savings
- Methadone MAT costs $13/day versus $64 for residential
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) using buprenorphine reduces the risk of opioid overdose death by 37% compared to no treatment
- Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) is associated with a 59% reduction in all-cause mortality among opioid-dependent patients
- Extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol) combined with counseling shows 50% higher abstinence rates at 6 months versus counseling alone
- MAT reduces overdose deaths by 87% during active treatment
- MAT patients have 65% lower all-cause mortality than untreated
- Buprenorphine reduces overdose hospitalization by 40%
- MAT retention at 6 months is 55% for buprenorphine versus 35% for naltrexone
- 70% of methadone patients remain in treatment after 12 months
- Buprenorphine office-based treatment retains 50% at 1 year
In 2020, few people got MAT, but evidence shows it dramatically cuts overdose deaths and saves costs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Access22 stats
01
Only 11.3% of adults with opioid use disorder received MAT in 2020
02
1.5 million people needed MAT but only 20% accessed it in 2019
03
Buprenorphine waiver providers cover only 48% of US counties
04
Rural areas have 30% fewer MAT providers per capita
05
49 states allow telehealth for MAT initiation post-COVID
06
Black patients receive MAT at 50% lower rates than whites
07
Only 5% of jails offer MAT despite 20% inmate OUD
08
Medicaid covers MAT in all states but reimbursement varies 40-60%
09
40% of US physicians can prescribe buprenorphine after 2023 waiver removal
10
Pregnant women access MAT at 25% of need rate
11
Veterans have 35% MAT utilization versus civilian 12%
12
2.4 million adults with OUD but MAT reaches 1 million
13
Pharmacy dispensing of buprenorphine increased 120% 2012-2020
14
60% of OTPs (methadone) have waitlists averaging 30 days
15
Low-income areas have 50% fewer office-based buprenorphine prescribers
16
Tribal lands have MAT access for only 10% of OUD cases
17
ER-based buprenorphine bridges to 40% ongoing treatment
18
70% of states restrict take-home methadone doses
19
Women represent 30% of MAT enrollees despite equal OUD prevalence
20
Adolescents access MAT at 4% rate of adult utilization
21
85% of commercial insurance covers MAT but prior auth in 40%
22
MAT slots in OTPs grew 15% from 2016-2020 to 1,800 programs
Interpretation
Access Interpretation
The access gap is stark because only 11.3% of adults with opioid use disorder received MAT in 2020, even though 1.5 million people needed it, showing that barriers in getting treatment persist despite some expansion like telehealth availability in 49 states.
02 · Category
Economics28 stats
01
MAT saves $20,000per patient annually in healthcare costs
02
Every $1invested in MAT yields $4-7 in savings
03
Methadone MAT costs $13/day versus $64 for residential
04
Buprenorphine treatment reduces societal costs by $15,817per patient/year
05
MAT prevents 1 overdose death per 133 patient-years, valued at $1M each
06
Naltrexone costs $800/month but saves $2,500 in ER visits
07
MAT ROI is 5:1 for criminal justice costs
08
Annual MAT cost per patient $4,500vs $30,000 untreated
09
Buprenorphine generics reduce costs 70% since 2019
10
MAT lowers Medicaid spending by 30% long-term
11
Methadone programs cost $15,000/year per patient, saving $45,000 in incarceration
12
MAT reduces lost productivity costs by $7,000per patient/year
13
Long-acting injectables increase costs 20% but retention saves 35%
14
MAT prevents 200,000 overdoses yearly, $45B savings
15
Office-based MAT cuts travel costs 50% for patients
16
MAT for pregnant women saves $100,000per NAS case avoided
17
Criminal justice MAT returns $12per $1 invested
18
Tele-MAT reduces provider costs by 25%
19
MAT lowers employer absenteeism costs by 40%
20
Buprenorphine diversion costs $50M annually but benefits outweigh
21
MAT expansion scales cost per QALY at $12,000
22
Methadone vs buprenorphine similar costs but methadone 10% cheaper long-term
23
MAT reduces foster care costs by 55% for children of users
24
National MAT investment returns $37B annually
25
MAT pharmacy dispensing grew 200% with cost drop 60%
26
Integrated MAT in primary care costs 15% less to deliver
27
MAT prevents $1.5B in HIV treatment costs yearly
28
Naltrexone generics save 80% over branded
Interpretation
Economics Interpretation
From an economics perspective, Medication-Assisted Treatment consistently produces large cost offsets, such as saving $20,000 per patient per year overall and generating $4 to $7 in savings for every $1 invested while also cutting treatment costs like methadone at $13 per day versus $64 for residential care.
03 · Category
Efficacy30 stats
01
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) using buprenorphine reduces the risk of opioid overdose death by 37% compared to no treatment
02
Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) is associated with a 59% reduction in all-cause mortality among opioid-dependent patients
03
Extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol) combined with counseling shows 50% higher abstinence rates at 6 months versus counseling alone
04
MAT with methadone reduces illicit opioid use by 70% in patients after 6 months of treatment
05
Buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone) achieves 54% opioid abstinence rates at 24 weeks versus 20% for placebo
06
MAT reduces HIV risk behaviors by 52% among injection drug users
07
Long-acting injectable buprenorphine (Sublocade) retains 40% more patients in treatment at 6 months than daily sublingual
08
Naltrexone implant reduces relapse rates by 45% in the first 3 months post-detox
09
MAT with buprenorphine lowers criminal activity by 45% compared to non-MAT groups
10
Methadone treatment decreases heroin use from 90% to 20% positive urines after 1 year
11
MAT patients have 38% lower rates of opioid-positive urine tests after 12 months
12
Buprenorphine maintenance yields 60% treatment retention at 6 months versus 30% for detoxification
13
MAT reduces overdose mortality by 50% during treatment periods
14
Naltrexone therapy increases days abstinent by 25% over behavioral therapy alone
15
Combined MAT and contingency management boosts abstinence to 65%
16
MAT with methadone achieves 72% reduction in injection frequency
17
Buprenorphine reduces withdrawal symptoms by 80% within 24 hours
18
Long-term MAT (over 1 year) sustains 55% remission rates
19
MAT lowers HCV incidence by 43% in opioid users
20
Injectable naltrexone retains 57% of patients opioid-free at 24 weeks
21
MAT programs report 65% decrease in emergency department visits for opioid issues
22
Buprenorphine initiation in ER settings reduces subsequent overdose by 39%
23
Methadone reduces neonatal abstinence syndrome severity by 40%
24
MAT with naltrexone blocks euphoria from 90mg heroin in 95% of users
25
Comprehensive MAT lowers unemployment by 30% after 12 months
26
MAT achieves 50% HCV treatment completion rates versus 25% without
27
Buprenorphine microdosing improves induction success to 86%
28
MAT reduces family burden costs by 42%
29
Tele-MAT retains 70% of rural patients at 3 months
30
MAT with counseling halves readmission rates post-detox
Interpretation
Efficacy Interpretation
From an efficacy perspective, medication assisted treatment consistently shows large, measurable benefits, including a 37% lower risk of opioid overdose death with buprenorphine and a 59% reduction in all cause mortality with methadone maintenance, along with 50% to 70% improvements in abstinence and illicit opioid use.
More related reading
04 · Category
Health Outcomes25 stats
01
MAT reduces overdose deaths by 87% during active treatment
02
MAT patients have 65% lower all-cause mortality than untreated
03
Buprenorphine reduces overdose hospitalization by 40%
04
Methadone MAT lowers HIV incidence by 54%
05
Naltrexone reduces liver disease progression in opioid users by 30%
06
MAT decreases emergency visits by 61% for opioid-related issues
07
MAT in pregnancy reduces preterm birth by 20%
08
Buprenorphine-treated neonates have 50% shorter hospital stays
09
MAT lowers suicide attempts by 45% in opioid use disorder patients
10
MAT reduces HCV transmission by 35% in networks
11
Long-term MAT improves quality of life scores by 28%
12
MAT patients show 55% reduction in depression symptoms
13
Buprenorphine lowers respiratory depression risk by 70% vs full agonists
14
MAT reduces infectious disease hospitalizations by 48%
15
Naltrexone MAT decreases cardiovascular events by 25%
16
MAT improves sleep quality in 62% of patients after 3 months
17
MAT lowers chronic pain interference by 40%
18
Buprenorphine reduces anxiety scores by 35% at 6 months
19
MAT in veterans cuts PTSD symptoms by 30%
20
Long-acting naltrexone improves physical functioning by 22%
21
MAT reduces TB incidence by 50% among users
22
Buprenorphine MAT lowers fracture risk by 25%
23
MAT decreases sepsis rates by 55% in injectors
24
MAT improves nutritional status in 70% of malnourished patients
25
MAT reduces dental issues by 38% with oral formulations
Interpretation
Health Outcomes Interpretation
From a health outcomes perspective, Medication-Assisted Treatment dramatically improves survival and reduces harm, cutting overdose deaths by 87% during active treatment and lowering all-cause mortality by 65% compared with untreated care.
05 · Category
Retention25 stats
01
MAT retention at 6 months is 55% for buprenorphine versus 35% for naltrexone
02
70% of methadone patients remain in treatment after 12 months
03
Buprenorphine office-based treatment retains 50% at 1 year
04
Long-acting buprenorphine increases 6-month retention to 60%
05
Naltrexone implant achieves 65% retention at 6 months
06
MAT clinics report 48% average retention rate across modalities
07
Integrated MAT in HIV clinics boosts retention to 75%
08
52% of pregnant women on buprenorphine stay retained through delivery
09
Methadone programs with psychosocial support retain 68% at 1 year
10
Telehealth MAT improves retention by 25% in underserved areas
11
Buprenorphine/naloxone film retains 62% at 24 weeks
12
MAT retention drops to 20% after 30 days without ancillary services
13
Criminal justice-referred MAT retains 58% versus 32% voluntary
14
6-month retention in MAT is 40% higher with peer support
15
Naltrexone monthly injections retain 43% at 6 months
16
MAT for veterans achieves 55% retention at 1 year
17
Buprenorphine initiation success leads to 67% 90-day retention
18
Long-term methadone retention (2+ years) is 45%
19
MAT retention in adolescents is 35% at 6 months with family therapy
20
Clinic-based MAT retains 51% versus 28% community-based without support
21
MAT with contingency management retains 75% at 12 weeks
22
Pregnant MAT retention is 60% with comprehensive care
23
MAT retention improves 30% with reduced take-home requirements
24
Buprenorphine tele-prescribing retains 65% rural patients
25
1-year retention in MAT is 50% for dual diagnosis patients
Interpretation
Retention Interpretation
For retention, buprenorphine options consistently hold more patients than naltrexone, with 55% vs 35% at 6 months and even higher performance when using long acting formulations, reaching 60% at 6 months and 50% at one year.
report visual · Key figures
Medication-Assisted Treatment: Access gaps and disparities
Use MAT remains far from need, with major differences by geography, access route, and patient groups.
11.3%
Only 11.3% of adults with opioid use disorder received MAT in 2020
20%
1.5 million people needed MAT but only 20% accessed it in 2019
48%
Buprenorphine waiver providers cover only 48% of US counties
50%
Black patients receive MAT at 50% lower rates than whites
5%
Only 5% of jails offer MAT despite 20% inmate OUD
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Medication-Assisted Treatment Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/medication-assisted-treatment-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Medication-Assisted Treatment Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/medication-assisted-treatment-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Medication-Assisted Treatment Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/medication-assisted-treatment-statistics.
Sources & references
14 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level