Oklahoma lawmakers eye cost savings from drug treatment
By The Associated Press
Comments 
6
Published: October 27, 2009
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma could save millions in Medicaid expenses for hospital visits, nursing home stays and other costs by providing substance abuse treatment to select groups of recipients, a Washington state economist said Tuesday.
Dr. David Mancuso, a health economist with the
Washington Department of Social and Health Services, testified to members of a House budget panel conducting a cost-benefit analysis of increased funding for substance abuse treatment.
Mancuso outlined a program implemented in Washington state in 2005 that expanded treatment for adult Medicaid recipients who receive state-funded medical benefits. He said the program resulted in significant savings with fewer hospital visits and nursing home stays and declines in morbidity rates among the targeted population.
“We've seen absolute declines in the per-member, per-month Medicaid costs — even higher than we projected,” Mancuso said.
Mancuso said a $16.3 million state investment in the program in fiscal year 2008 resulted in a total savings to the state of more than $21 million.
“What's basically happened in our state is that the debate is essentially over as to whether chemical dependency treatment will save money,” he said.
State
Rep. Doug Cox, an emergency room physician from Grove, said he requested the legislative study as the state grapples with spiraling costs connected to drug and alcohol addiction, including health care, prosecuting and incarcerating substance abuse offenders, and societal costs such as divorce and child abuse.
“Oklahoma, like all of the states, has a huge problem with drug addiction,” Cox said. “It is clearly cost-effective to use state money to get these people help.”
The committee also heard from
Laura Pittman, a psychologist and deputy director of female offender operations at the Department of Corrections. Pittman told lawmakers the state's prisons are filled with inmates convicted of drug- and alcohol-related crimes who would be ideal candidates for treatment.
Oklahoma leads the nation in its incarceration rate for women — with 131 women locked up in the state per 100,000 people, Pittman said. That compares to a national average of 69 women per 100,000 people. Oklahoma also ranks third in its incarceration rate for men.
According to the Department of Corrections, the top two crimes resulting in incarceration in Oklahoma are distribution of drugs (16.2 percent of inmates) and possession of drugs (11.6 percent). More than 50 percent of the state's prisoners are incarcerated for nonviolent offenses.
Beyond that, Pittman said most of the violent crimes in Oklahoma are committed by those under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
“Addiction is a major contributor to our criminal justice system,” she said.
Related Topics:
Crime,
Health and Fitness,
Medicine,
Social Services Funding,
Public Finance,
Federal Budget,
Criminal Sentencing and Punishment,
Prisons,
Mental Health,
Drug Addiction,
Addiction and Recovery,
Health Care Issues,
Paying for Health Care,
Drug Crimes
Leave a Comment
News Photo Galleriesview all
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).
--