Substance abuse treatment cost offsets vary with gender, age, and abstinence likelihood

J Health Care Finance. 1999 Fall;26(1):33-9.

Abstract

The cost-offset effect has been promoted as a way for substance abuse treatment to pay for itself by generating reductions in health care utilization in other areas. Clients (n = 5,434) that were abstinent for 24 months following substance abuse treatment had lower posttreatment utilization than clients that had relapsed. An examination of cost offsets revealed a complex interplay between gender, age, and type of utilization (medical versus psychiatric). Cost offsets were especially pronounced for women over 40 years old.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aftercare / economics*
  • Aftercare / statistics & numerical data
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Female
  • Hospital Costs / statistics & numerical data*
  • Hospitals, Psychiatric / economics
  • Hospitals, Psychiatric / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Length of Stay / economics
  • Length of Stay / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Sex Factors
  • Substance-Related Disorders / economics*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / rehabilitation*
  • Temperance / economics
  • Temperance / statistics & numerical data
  • United States
  • Utilization Review / economics
  • Utilization Review / statistics & numerical data