TABLE 1.

Mean Per-Patient Excess Medical Costs During the 24-Month Follow-up Period^a-c

	-6 to 0 Months		0 to 6 Monthsd		6 to 12 Monthsd		12 to 18 Monthsd
Total Excess Medical Costse	$3,329[SD: $26,214](P < 0.001)($)	(%)	$11,771[SD: $26,904](P < 0.001)($)	(%)	$3,985[SD: $24,367](P < 0.001)($)	(%)	$2,719[SD: $16,953](P < 0.001)($)	(%)
Diagnosis-level medical cost driver groupingsf-g
Opioid abuseh	0	0	3,815	32	1,299	33	1,182	43
Nonopioid drug and alcohol abusei	1,009	30	3,559	30	1,684	42	1,742	64
Mental health conditionsj	288	9	793	7	307	8	332	12
Painful conditionsk	404	12	552	5	355	9	271	10
Respiratory conditionsl	286	9	453	4	202	5	142	5
Gastrointestinal conditionsm	193	6	76	1	52	1	120	4
Cancersn	93	3	47	0	98	2	170	6
Cardiovascular conditionso	60	2	34	0	36	1	32	1
Total	2,332	70	9,329	79	4,032	101	3,991	147

^aThe table reflects data for 9,345 matched pairs of abusers and controls. Abusers were matched to potential controls based on propensity score (within a quarter of a standard deviation). These counts do not reflect patient attrition in the post-index period.

^bThe index date for abusers was defined as the date of first diagnosis of abuse, dependence, or poisoning/overdose in Q1 2012-Q1 2015. The index date for controls was defined as a random medical claim in Q1 2012-Q1 2015.

^cCosts were inflated to 2015 values using the medical care component of the Consumer Price Index.

^dMean costs after diagnosis shown in 6-month increments above include patients in months for which they no longer have continuous eligibility.

^eP values comparing the distribution of medical costs for opioid abusers and controls were calculated using Wilcoxon signed rank tests.

^fCondition categories are sorted in descending order by costs during the 0 to 6 months after diagnosis.

^gTotals may exceed 100% if the top 50 diagnosis-level cost drivers excluded diagnoses for which controls’ average costs exceeded those of abusers.

^hThe opioid abuse category included opioid drug dependence, poisoning, and nondependent abuse.

ⁱThe nonopioid drug/alcohol abuse category contained nonopioid drug dependence, alcohol dependence syndrome, alcohol-induced mental disorders, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, liver abscess and sequelae of chronic liver disease, nondependent abuse of nonopioid drugs, drug-induced mental disorders, and poisoning by nonopioid drugs, including antipyretics, antirheumatics, and psychotropics.

^jMental health conditions included adjustment reaction; anxiety, dissociative and somatoform disorders; depressive disorder, not elsewhere classified; episodic mood disorders; migraine; other and unspecified disorders of the nervous system; other conditions of brain; other nonorganic psychoses; other psychosocial circumstances; and trigeminal nerve disorders.

^kPainful conditions included arthropathy associated with infections; atherosclerosis; curvature of spine; diffuse diseases of connective tissue; fracture of vertebral column without mention of spinal cord injury; other acquired musculoskeletal deformity; intervertebral disc disorders; osteoarthrosis and allied disorders; other and unspecified disorders of joint; other and unspecified disorders of back; other disorders of bone and cartilage; pain, not elsewhere classified; and spondylosis and allied disorders.

^lRespiratory conditions included asthma; empyema; other bacterial pneumonia; other diseases of lung; pneumonia, organism unspecified; pneumonitis due to solids and liquids; and symptoms involving respiratory system and other chest symptoms.

^mGastrointestinal conditions included gastritis and duodenitis; gastrointestinal hemorrhage; intestinal infections due to other organisms; intestinal obstruction without mention of hernia; other disorders of intestine; regional enteritis; symptoms involving digestive system disorders of function of stomach; and vascular insufficiency of intestine.

ⁿCancers included malignant melanoma of skin; malignant neoplasm of brain; malignant neoplasm of connective and other soft tissue; malignant neoplasm of kidney and other and unspecified urinary organs; malignant neoplasm of prostate; malignant neoplasm of rectum rectosigmoid junction and anus; multiple myeloma and immunoproliferative neoplasms; and other malignant neoplasms of lymphoid and histiocytic tissue.

^oCardiovascular conditions included complications of bariatric procedures; other diseases of blood and blood-forming organs; other diseases of endocardium; other forms of chronic ischemic heart disease; peritonitis and retroperitoneal infections; and symptoms involving cardiovascular system.

SD = standard deviation.