title: Alcoholism treatment offset effects: an insurance perspective.
abstract: This study investigates whether alcoholism treatment costs are offset by reductions in other medical treatment costs by comparing people treated for alcoholism with a matched comparison group. The alcoholism treatment group is defined by diagnoses of alcohol dependence, abuse, or psychoses from health insurance claims field between January 1980 and June 1987. A comparison sample was matched on age, gender, and insurance coverage. In this primarily methodological study, expected costs for nonalcoholism treatments were calculated from standardized regressions. Offset effects were measured from the insurer's perspective through differences in expected total nonalcoholism treatment costs in the periods preceding and following alcoholism treatment. Members of the alcoholism treatment group were more likely than the comparison group to be hospitalized and to need other (nonalcoholism) medical treatment, thus incurring higher total costs. Offset effects emerged for patients with alcohol abuse and without mental psychosis comorbidities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. allen.goodman@wayne.edu
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tilford
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hankin
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Holder
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nishiura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D017059:Models, Econometric; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome