The Impact of Substance Use Disorders on Medical Expenditures for Medicaid Beneficiaries with Behavioral Health Disorders

The study from the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program looked at the medical records of about 150,000 Medicaid recipients in Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey, and Washington. The study measured the impact of substance use disorders on Medicaid expenditures for behavioral and physical health care among beneficiaries with behavioral health disorders. Behavioral health and general medical expenditures for individuals with diagnoses of substance use disorders were compared with expenditures for those without such diagnoses.

Key points from the study include: Compared with those suffering from behavioral health disorders, individuals who suffer from addiction had significantly higher expenditures for physical health problems.

This document is available at http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/60/1/35.