Expenditures for Treating Schizophrenia: A Population-Based Study of Georgia Medicaid Recipients

The study analyzed all claims data for reimbursable medical services and drugs rendered to 18- to 50-year-old Medicaid recipients in the State of Georgia over a 3-year period. A cohort of 6,443 schizophrenia patients were identified by inspecting the medical history data for claims indicative of schizophrenia (ICD-9-CM 295.xx). A crude prevalence of 6.02 percent was identi-fied. Use patterns and charges associated with schizo-phrenia were stratified by major areas of service including ambulatory services, hospitalizations, and pharmacological treatment The incidence of rehospi-talization for chronic schizophrenia patients based on a 12-month hospitalization index format was also iden-tified. Findings are discussed regarding using these data to focus strategies for assessing schizophrenia treatment outcome in relation to treatment cos