Millions of Americans have substance use disorders, yet experts estimate that the vast majority of those in need of treatment do not receive any care. These disorders often result in not only serious harm to the health of the individuals, but also enormous financial and social consequences that go beyond the health care system—including the loss of economic productivity due to withdrawal from the workforce and increased rates of crime, disability, and death. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the combined direct and indirect costs of substance use disorder reaches into the hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
Researchers from the State Health Care Spending Project—a collaboration between The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation—sought to better understand the country’s substance use disorder challenges and, in particular, the states’ role in addressing them.