Medical care use by treated and untreated substance abusing medicaid patients.
Medicaid reimbursement costs for county residents at least 18 years old who used a treatment service (n = 1043) and residents who were Medicaid enrollees with a substance abuse diagnosis but who did not receive treatment (n = 2125) were compared. Untreated patients were more likely to be male (47% vs. 39%), white (56% vs. 45%), and older (39.7 yrs. +/- 13 SD vs. 35.5 yrs +/- 10 SD). The average monthly Medicaid costs ($257) for the untreated were higher in the year prior to identification than were costs ($207) for the treated. The monthly costs in the six months following identification were $761 for the untreated and $373 for the treated. The costs in the next six months returned to near the original for the treated ($224), while those for the untreated remained higher at $340. Medicaid enrollees with untreated substance abuse pose a significant cost to the Medicaid system.
Gerson
L W
LW
Division of Community Health Sciences, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, P.O. Box 95, Rootstown, OH 44272-0095, USA. lgerson@neoucom.edu
Boex
J
J
Hua
K
K
Liebelt
R A
RA
Zumbar
W R
WR
Bush
D
D
Givens
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000191:economics* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000191:economics*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000534:rehabilitation