SERVICE-LEVEL COSTING OF DRUG-ABUSE TREATMENT

This payer presents a methodology far estimating costs of delivering s pecific substance abuse treatment services. Data collected from 13 pro grams indicate that the mean cost of residential treatment is $2,773 p er patient per month, and outpatient treatment costs average $636 per patient per month. Data are presented on the cost per patient per mont h for individual treatment and nontreatment services, average number o f services, cost PET unit of service, and intensity of services. III a ddition to their application to insurance benefit cost estimation, the se data illustrate the costing of best-practice adolescent treatment c onsistent with a Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Treatment Improvement Protocol. In the emerging policy environment, derailed co st estimates like these will aid the design of cost-effective treat me nt programs, and serve the development of the substance abuse benefit in a health care reform insurance package. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science I nc.