18 million insured beneficiaries of 84 self-insured companies located throughout the U.S. They used the definition of opioid abuse as per codes from the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision. Each individual was monitored over a 12-18 month period.
One of the most interesting findings of the study was that excess healthcare costs for those who misuse opioid painkillers began accumulating five months before a formal diagnosis of abuse. “Many patients had diagnoses for other substance abuse that predated their opioid abuse diagnoses,” researchers stated.
An average of $14,810 in excess costs to commercial payers was generated in the six months before and after the initial episode of abuse.
Overall, the total annual incremental healthcare costs were split almost evenly between treating opioid abuse and the abuse of nonopioid drugs and alcohol.
The results showed that a sizable amount of the costs that payers related to opioid abuse may be incurred in the context of substance use disorder involving non-opioid drugs and alcohol.
