Opioid Use Disorder and Civil Rights Law-Recording - Opioid Use Disorder and Civil Rights Law

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Addiction medicine doctor Sean Cohen and attorney Rebecca Jobe (Legal Action Center) explain why access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)—especially methadone and buprenorphine—is urgent during the overdose crisis. Although overdose deaths have fallen from pandemic peaks, about 70,000 people still die annually. MOUD cuts overdose/death risk by roughly 50%, yet only about 20% of people with OUD receive MOUD each year, largely because it remains hard to access. Cohen highlights discrimination and harmful gaps in three settings: hospitals (untreated withdrawal and lack of MOUD lead to stigma, premature discharges, and high post-discharge overdose risk), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs often deny admission to patients on MOUD, forcing longer hospital stays or placement far from home in lower-quality facilities), and jails/prisons (fewer than a third of jails offer any MOUD; <10% of incarcerated people with OUD receive it, despite strong evidence MOUD reduces post-release mortality and reincarceration).<br /><br />Jobe outlines how civil rights laws—especially the ADA—protect many people with OUD/MOUD from discrimination by governments, healthcare entities, employers, and housing. Discrimination includes blanket bans, unequal treatment, and failure to provide reasonable accommodations. They recommend education, partnerships, advocacy letters, and enforcement via litigation or agency complaints (DOJ, HHS, EEOC, HUD), citing growing case law, particularly in SNFs and corrections.

Keywords

medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)

methadone

buprenorphine

opioid overdose crisis

hospital withdrawal management

skilled nursing facility (SNF) discrimination

jail and prison MOUD access

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protections

Legal Action Center advocacy and enforcement