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Abstract #154497

Derek Weycker, PhD¹, M. Haim Erder, PhD², John Edelsberg, MD, MPH¹, Harold Holder, PhD³, and Gerry Oster, PhD¹. (1) Policy Analysis Inc., Four Davis Court, Brookline, MA 02445-7629, (2) Forest Research Institute, Harborside Financial Center, Plaza V, Jersey City, NJ 07039, 201-427-8431, haim.erder@frx.com, (3) Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 450, Berkeley, CA 94704

Background: Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are widespread. The economic consequences of these conditions in a managed-care setting are largely unknown.

Methods: The direct economic burden of alcoholism and alcohol abuse was estimated by multiplying numbers of healthcare encounters and total healthcare expenditures for alcohol-related conditions by corresponding alcohol-attributable (i.e., etiologic) fractions (AAFs). Alcohol-related conditions--including alcoholism and alcoholic disorders, alcohol-related diseases, and alcohol-related injuries--and AAFs were based on a published taxonomy developed for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Encounters and expenditures for the treatment of alcohol-related conditions were estimated using 2004 healthcare claims data for a random sample of 4 million managed-care plan members. Direct economic burden was estimated on an overall basis and by setting of care, for all members and by age and sex.

Results: Alcohol-attributable expenditures totaled $216.2 million in 2004, or $5.4 million per 100,000 plan members, representing 3% of total healthcare expenditures during the year. Alcohol-related diseases represented 55% of alcohol-attributable expenditures; treatment of alcoholism and alcoholic disorders constituted 38%. Hospitalizations represented 61% of attributable expenditures, followed by hospital outpatient visits (13%), physician office visits (10%), and emergency room visits (5%). Expenditures (per 100,000 plan members) were 1.6 times higher for men than women, and increased with age.

Conclusions: The economic burden of alcohol-attributable expenditures in US managed-care settings is substantial. Interventions directed at the problem of alcoholism and alcohol abuse could yield considerable cost offsets.

Learning Objectives:

• To gain increased understanding of the impact of alcohol abuse and dependence on annual healthcare expenditures in US managed-care settings.

Keywords: Alcohol Problems, Alcoholism

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? Yes

Name of Organization	Clinical/Research Area	Type of relationship
Forest Laboratories, Inc	Health Economics	Employment (includes retainer)

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.