Recognizing the Correlation Between Drug Abuse And Healthcare Costs
Addiction of any kind can be costly for everyone involved: the person with the addiction, their family, friends, and the entire community. The NIDA estimates that substance abuse cost the United States upwards of $700 billion every year, with around $200 billion going towards healthcare alone. It is safe to say that drug abuse definitely does have an effect on the healthcare system.
The Cost of Prevention
A large portion of the healthcare system is dedicated to preventing drug and alcohol abuse and educating people on their dangers. This is done through outreach programs at hospitals and schools, training for medical professionals, and research on the causes of addiction.
The intent with spending money to prevent addiction is that it will cost less in the long run. If effective prevention means that fewer people are using drugs, then there is less money being spent on treatment and recovery.
Unfortunately, thatās not how things work, and more money in the healthcare system is being dedicated towards prevention every year.
The Cost of Treatment
Many insurance plans will cover or contribute to the cost of drug abuse treatment.
The treatment process for drug abuse can be a long one, with multiple factors affecting the outcome. It largely depends on the type of drug, the person themselves, how long theyāve been addicted, and the amount of damage the drug has done.
The NIDA suggests that treatment can help reduce health and social costs associated with drug addiction, often at amounts far more than the treatmentās cost. Things like incarceration, which costs roughly $24,000 per person per year, are noticeably costly when compared to treatment options like methadone maintenance, which costs about $4,700 per year per patient.
Treatment costs can often be covered through insurance, but it depends on the company, the plan the person has, and the treatment facility. Of course, the length of the treatment and the amount of care that is required for the person to reach recovery can also bring the cost up.
On average, the treatment costs for drug and substance abuse can be the cheapest part of the addiction, and there are many ways to help alleviate fees. Research groups and non-profits, when they are an option, tend to take a large portion of the burden of treatment costs from the patient and the healthcare system.
Federal Costs
The Drug Enforcement Administration is the federal group that monitors the legal aspects of drug abuse. They are one of many organizations dedicated to combating drug and substance abuse. The concept of a āwar on drugsā can affect healthcare costs simply by giving the medical community an idea of the reach drugs currently have.
Many federal groups do research on addiction, how it develops, the damage it does, and how to treat it. As a result, new information is made available and the healthcare system adapts in order to be as prepared as possible. As research and the information that comes from it costs money, the total price of drug abuse for the healthcare system is constantly fluctuating.
If you or a loved one has an addiction, please know that help is available. Contact us through our website or call us at 888-646-0635Who Answers? for more information and the chance to talk with one of our caring specialists.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, lying is a part of addiction. It is one of the key characteristics used to identify an addict from someone who is merely dependent on a drug such as prescription medication. Most addicts lie to themselves and they lie to their loved ones. These are some of….
It can sometimes be difficult to keep cheerful and to be confident in oneās self while attending rehab. Being away from your family and friends can be very hard, and while you are learning quite a bit about how to create a better life for yourself, free of drug abuse, the weight of these changes….
Patients who are treated at local rehab centers undergo their rehabilitation in a safe environment that is in close proximity to their friends and family making them feel a little more at ease. For the recovering addict, there is a sense of ease knowing their surroundings, not that they are home but in an area….
Every person deals with and suffers from drug addiction in a different way and that’s why every drug rehab program is different. There are also many similarities in various drug rehab centers and the programs that are offered. Understanding what the keys to success in drug rehab are will help to assure a better chance….
Within an intimate or family-based relationship, patterns of abuse in any form can spell trouble down the road for the person being abused. Patterns of abuse can escalate without warning, turning violent and even deadly. According to the National Institute of Justice, one out of every five women injured or killed by a significant other….
The involvement of loved ones in addiction treatment is one of the best possible factors when it comes to a person’s recovery. “Involvement of a family member or significant other in an individual’s treatment program can strengthen and extend treatment benefits,” keep the individual in the program longer, and provide them with the kind of….
Chronic alcohol consumption can have many negative effects on the body and dramatically impairs brain development. Long term alcohol abuse causes dementia, physical dependence and the shrinkage of the brain. While there is some evidence that suggests that alcohol consumption in a low to moderate manner can have some positive health benefits the literature to….
Addiction is a lifelong illness. Many people go through recovery and seem fine but when they leave the program, they quickly relapse. This leaves them right back where they started. Up until recently, there were very few options for help after rehab. Rehab only teaches people the skills they need to live without the addiction,….
Behavioral issues are problematic by themselves but with the added help of substance addiction, they can be amplified. From moodiness to impulsivity, behavioral issues can only be strengthened with the use of a substance and may break up relationships along its destructive path. Substance addiction can fuel behavioral problems in many ways. The Lying Behavior….
A new study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts was released in March 2018, detailing the severity of opioid addiction and abuse in the Bay State. Sadly, the report found that a majority of people in the state know or have known someone who struggled with opioid addiction, and a quarter of residents….
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser.
By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.
