Costs of Treating Conduct Disordered Medicaid Youth with and without Family Therapy |
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Authors: | D Russell Crane Harvey H Hillin Scott F Jakubowski |
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Institution: | 1. Marriage and Family Therapy, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah, USA;2. State of Kansas Office of Social &3. Rehabilitation Services , Topeka, Kansas, USA |
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Abstract: | This longitudinal, retrospective study investigated the healthcare costs of youth treated for conduct disorder in the Kansas Medicaid system. Along with a comprehensive range of services, youth received in-office individual therapy, in-office family therapy, or in-home family therapy. Data was available for 3753 youth. Overall, 3086 youth received care that included individual therapy (and no family therapy), 503 received in-home family therapy and 164 others received in-office family therapy. Healthcare costs for a period of two and one half years after therapy were available for analysis. The average cost of healthcare for youth receiving no family therapy was $16, 260. For those receiving in-office family therapy, the average cost was $11,116. Youth who received in-office family therapy received $5,144 (32%) less care on average than those receiving only individual therapy. Those who received in-home family therapy averaged $1,622 over the follow-up the period. Those who received in-home family therapy were least expensive of all, averaging at least 85% less than any form of in-office therapy. There does not appear to be an increase in the healthcare cost when family therapy is included in treatment. |
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