Table 3.

Intervention and Control Patient Costs and Benefit Cost Ratio Analysis

	A			B			C±
	Intervention (n = 85)			Control (n = 86)			Difference
	Year 1	Year 2†	Total	Year 1	Year 2†	Total
Discounted Costs
Fixed costs per patient*	$91.73	$45.25	$136.98	-	-	-	($136.98)
Variable costs per patient**	$389.91	-	$389.91	-	-	-	($389.91)
Total							($526.89)
Discounted Offset Costs
ED costs per patient (average)***	$2,870.60	$1,536.24	$4,406.84	$3,390.83	$2,190.23	$5,581.6	$1,174.22
Inpatient stay costs per patient (average)****	$3,449.60	$3,558.45	$7,008.5	$4,261.86	$8,068.57	$12,330.43	$5,322.38
Total							$6,496.60
Benefit Cost Ratio							12.33

^±Column C shows the difference in discounted costs and discounted offset costs between the intervention and control patients. The benefit-cost ratio represents the average potential per patient dollars offset by a decrease in ED and inpatient stays ($6,496.60) relative to the per patient intervention costs ($526.60).

^†Year 2 costs and offset discounted by 3%

^*Fixed costs are costs of maintaining the intervention, divided by the number of patients and would decrease as enrolled patients increase; fixed costs include one hour per week of social worker and psychiatrist time, using BLS standard wages over the first 18 months.

^**Variable costs are the time spent managing medication and counseling for each patient, on average, using BLS standard wages

^***Emergency department costs are the average expenditures on ED visits, per patient using MEPS

^***Inpatient visit costs are the average expenditures on IP stay, per patient using MEPS