Postoperative Opioid Prescribing Among Adults with Disabilities After a Medicare Opioid Limit Policy
Main finding · Likelihood of initial fill >7-day supplyResult — go to the resultDifference −11.8 pp 95% CI −13.3 to −10.2Authors' conclusion
The 2019 Medicare 7-day limit was associated with immediate large reductions in initial opioid duration and dosage.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with disability entitlement aged 18–64 undergoing common surgeries, Medicare Advantage, July 2016-June 202124,910 member-index months
- Participants
- 24,283 adults
- Exposure
- After vs before the 2019 Medicare 7-day limit on initial opioid prescriptions
- Outcome
- Opioid duration (initial fill >7-day supply), dosage (cumulative 30-day MME) and subsequent opioid fills
Methodological detailsnational Medicare Advantage claims data
- National Medicare Advantage claims data
Main finding
Likelihood of initial fill >7-day supply · January 2019
Difference
−11.8 pp
95% CI −13.3 to −10.2
Post 7-day limit vs Predicted
difference −11.8 pp (95% CI −13.3 to −10.2)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Difference (pp) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Likelihood of initial fill >7-day supply · June 2021Post 7-day limit vs Predicted | −5.7 (−7.6 to −3.7) | |
| ≥1 fills within 30 days of initial fill · June 2021Post 7-day limit vs Predicted | 6.9 (3.1–10.7) | |
| −10−5051015Difference, pp (linear scale) |
| Outcome | Difference (MME) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative 30-day MME · January 2019Post 7-day limit vs Predicted | −35.9 (−53.7 to −18.1) | |
| Cumulative 30-day MME · June 2021Post 7-day limit vs Predicted | 95.2 (56.9–133.6) | |
| −1000100200Difference, MME (linear scale) |
≥1 fills within 30 days of initial fill · January 2019
- Not significantly different from predicted
Original publication
Postoperative Opioid Prescribing Among Adults with Disabilities After a Medicare Opioid Limit Policy. Ann Surg. Published 8 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →