Willingness To Pay for Drug Use Disorder Treatment from Cost payers’ Viewpoints: The Function of Income of Cost Payers and Severity of Addiction of Patients

Abstract

Abstract Background Traditional economic studies in the field of drug use disorder treatment have generally focused on standard evaluation of costs and benefits of treatment programs. Willingness to pay (WTP) as a subjective economic indicator, however, uncovers intangible benefits of treatment that are not gauged by traditional measurements. Aim To examine the effect of cost payers’ income and severity of drug use disorder on WTP for treatment. Method Addiction Severity Index questionnaire was used for 109 patients with drug use disorder of which 78 were on Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) and 31 were in abstinence-based residential facilities (RFs). cost payers (family members and patients)’ WTP was measured by contingency valuation method. income of cost payers and addiction severity indexes of patients were analyzed in relevance to WTP in a regression model. We also used Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney statistical tests to examine differences in the two different treatment settings (MMT clinics, RFs). Results In MMT clinics higher income and a higher substance use index were associated with a higher WTP, 31.8% (p = 0.005) and 28% (p = .024) respectively. Also, the worse grades in clients legal (22.2%, p = 0.046) and medical status (27.5%, p = 0.022) were associated with a lower WTP. In RFs, on the other hand, cost payers’ income (43.6%, p = 0.028) was the sole determinant of WTP for treatment. Conclusion In a situation where clients and their families bear the full cost of treatment, income of cost payers plays a key role in preparedness for purchasing treatment services. Severity of drug use disorder is the second factor determining WTP for treatment.