Methadone maintenance and the cost and utilization of health care among individuals dependent on opioids in a commercial health plan.

Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Dennis McCartyFrances Lynch

Abstract

Few health plans provide maintenance medication for opioid dependence. This study assessed the cost of treating opioid-dependent members in a commercial health plan and the impacts of methadone maintenance on costs of care. Individuals with diagnoses of opioid dependence (two or more diagnoses per year) and at least 9 months of health plan eligibility each year were extracted from electronic health records for the years 2000 through 2004 (1,518 individuals and 2,523 observations across the study period-some individuals were in multiple years). Analyses examined the patterns and costs of health care for three groups of patients: (1) one or more methadone visits during the year (n=1,298; 51%); (2) no methadone visits and 0 or 1 visits in the Addiction Medicine Department (n=370; 15%); (3) no methadone visits and 2 or more visits in addiction medicine (n=855; 34%). Primary care (86%), emergency department (48%) and inpatient (24%) visits were common. Mean total annual costs to the health plan were $11,200 (2004 dollars) per member per year. The health plan's costs for members receiving methadone maintenance were 50% lower ($7,163) when compared to those with two or more outpatient addiction treatment visits but no methadone ($14,1...Continue Reading

References

Oct 20, 1999·The Milbank Quarterly·D McCartyG C Denmead
Jul 18, 2000·American Journal of Public Health·G S ZaricM L Brandeau
May 10, 2001·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·C LaineB J Turner
Feb 19, 2002·Drug and Alcohol Dependence·Carmen L MassonDavid C Perlman
May 7, 2003·Drug and Alcohol Dependence·Michael D Stein, Bradley Anderson
Sep 6, 2003·Drug and Alcohol Dependence·Christopher M DoranJames Bell
Aug 23, 1965·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·V P DOLE, M NYSWANDER
Nov 25, 2003·Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry·Helena Chmura KraemerRobert J Harmon
Jul 7, 2005·Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy : JMCP·Alan G WhiteNathaniel Katz
Jan 18, 2006·Drug and Alcohol Dependence·Steven SimoensChristine Bond
Nov 20, 2008·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Herbert D Kleber

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jul 21, 2011·Current Psychiatry Reports·Elizabeth M OlivaAlex H S Harris
Feb 2, 2016·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Chao RongXue-Shan Feng
Jan 23, 2016·Drug and Alcohol Dependence·Bobbi Jo H YarboroughCarla A Green
Mar 17, 2015·Substance Abuse : Official Publication of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse·Heide JacksonDavid J Vanness
Apr 11, 2017·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·Giovanni C SantoroStephen L Dewey
Aug 31, 2018·Health & Social Care in the Community·Cristina GagliardiMirko di Rosa
Mar 27, 2015·British Journal of Health Psychology·Chris LeckNick Evans
Mar 24, 2016·PharmacoEconomics·Sean M Murphy, Daniel Polsky
Aug 12, 2014·Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy·Alexandra ShepherdHendrika Laetitia Hattingh

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Addiction

This feed focuses mechanisms underlying addiction and addictive behaviour including heroin and opium dependence, alcohol intoxication, gambling, and tobacco addiction.