Revised cost estimates of Medicaid recipients with serious mental illness and HIV-AIDS.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this brief report is to provide accurate 1996 baseline cost estimates for persons with co-occurring HIV and serious mental illness by revising original figures previously reported by the authors.


METHODS
Data were examined for 23,729 adults who were enrolled in Medicaid in 1996. A comparison of utilization and cost of services was done for four groups: serious mental illness and HIV-AIDS, serious mental illness only, HIV-AIDS only, and neither condition.


RESULTS
In 1996 persons with both illnesses had the highest annual medical and behavioral health treatment expenditures at $20,038 per person, followed by persons with only HIV-AIDS at $14,714. The cost of care for the HIV-AIDS population, regardless of the presence of serious mental illness, averaged $16,253 per person.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the absolute costs found in this study were much higher than those reported in the authors' previous study, both studies showed that those with co-occurring illnesses had the highest cost.
Rothbard
Aileen B
AB
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. rothbard@mail.med.upenn.edu
Miller
Kay
K
Lee
Sungeun
S
Blank
Michael
M
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000191:economics; D015897:Comorbidity; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000191:economics; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000191:economics; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000191:economics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs