Early research on the cost of alcoholism treatment centered on general themes (see Jones and Vischi 1979; Annis 1986; Holder et al. 1991; and Finney et al. 1996 for reviews). Those themes included whether alcoholism treatment reduced overall health care costs, and whether such reductions were sufficient to cover treatment costs. More recent studies, discussed below, continue to examine other topics raised in earlier research. These include cost offsets, or the decrease in total health care costs after adjustment for alcohol treatment costs, and the cost-effectiveness of different treatments. The latest research focuses on new topics, such as the length of treatment and long-term costs.
