Report Examines Projected Spending Growth For Mental Health, Substance Use Treatment

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 09 Oct 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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"Future Funding for Mental Health And Substance Abuse: Increasing Burdens For The Public Sector;" Health Affairs: The report, by Katharine Levit, senior research leader at the health care business of Thomson Reuters, and colleagues finds that spending on mental health and substance use treatment is expected to double between 2003 and 2014, but it is projected to grow at a slower pace than overall health care spending. According to the report, mental health and substance use treatment spending is expected to increase from $121 billion in 2003 to $239 billion in 2014, while overall health spending is expected to grow 0.8 percentage points faster. In addition, the report projects that behavioral health spending will decline as a share of total health spending, from 7.5% in 2003 to 6.9% in 2014 (Levit et al., Health Affairs, 10/8).

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