A new piece shows large employers spent $2.6 billion to treat opioid addiction and overdoses in 2016, an eightfold improve since 2004. More than half went to treat staff members’ children.
The analysis released Thursday by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Raison detre finds such spending cost companies and workers about $26 per enrollee in 2016.
Proprietors have been limiting insurance coverage of opioids because of enterprises about addiction. The report finds spending on opioid prescriptions decline 27 percent from a peak in 2009.
Researchers analyzed insurance requisitions from employers with more than 1,000 workers. Most are self-insured, spirit they assume the financial risk.
Workers share the costs. Steve Wojcik of the Nationalist Business Group on Health says for every $5 increase, eye dialect guvnors typically cover $4 and pass $1 to workers.