Medical care use by treated and untreated substance abusing medicaid patients.

Medical care use by treated and untreated substance abusing medicaid patients.

Gerson L W; Boex J; Hua K; Liebelt R A; Zumbar W R; Bush D; Givens C

Journal of substance abuse treatment

2001

2001-03

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.

Adult; Alcoholism/*economics/rehabilitation; Costs and Cost Analysis; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Medicaid/*economics; Middle Aged; Ohio; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/*statistics & numerical data; Patient Admission/*economics; Patient Care Team/*economics; Substance-Related Disorders/*economics/rehabilitation

Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

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