Integration of Health Care Economics for Addiction Treatment in Clinic Care

Abstract

Over the past decade, radical changes have occurred in the availability and funding of treatment services for individuals with addictive disorders. Traditional inpatient and residential treatments have been replaced by outpatient settings. “Standard” addiction treatments, such as 28-day inpatient hospitalizations, are largely a thing of the past. The process of treatment planning has also changed. Treatment decisions now depend on third-party coverage rather than severity of illness. The procedures for determining eligibility and obtaining authorization for treatment are often ponderous and impersonal and determined through administrative procedures that are external to the treatment facility. The criteria used to determine the type of treatment seem arbitrary rather than clinically based.

Keywords:

• addiction
• costs
• economics
• health care
• treatment