Medical care use by treated and unheated substance abusing Medicaid patients

Medicaid reimbursement costs for county residents at least Is years old who used a treatment service (n = 1043) and residents who were Medicaid enroll ees with a substance abuse diagnosis but who did not receive treatment (n = 2125) were compared. Untreated patients were more likely to be male (47% v s. 39%), white (56% vs. 45%), and older (39.7 yrs +/- 13 SD vs. 35.5 yrs +/ - IO SD). The average monthly Medicaid costs ($257) for the untreated were higher in the year prior to identification than were costs ($207) for the t reated. 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 m onths returned to near the original for the treated ($224), while those for the untreated remained higher at $340. Medicaid enrollees with untreated s ubstance abuse pose a significant cost to the Medicaid system. (C) 2001 Els evier Science Inc. All rights reserved.