Substance use disorders among adults with employer-sponsored insurance cost payers $35.4 billion each year, a study from CDC researchers found.
In a study published Jan. 24 in JAMA Network Open, researchers evaluated 2018 claims data for 162 million non-Medicare-eligible enrollees. Of these enrollees, 2.3 million had been diagnosed with a substance use disorder.
The average cost per year per enrollee with a substance use disorder diagnosis was $15,640, according to the study's findings. Alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder were the most costly diagnoses, accounting for $17.5 billion in spending.
More strategies to support employees and prevent substance use disorder could be considered to offset these high costs, the study's authors wrote.
Read the full study here.