This report examines in detail the characteristics of total healthcare costs for all patients, and separately for high-cost patients, with a focus on the role played by behavioral health conditions and treatment. The analysis of 2017 healthcare claims data for 21 million commercially insured lives focuses on the prevalence of behavioral health conditions and the levels of spending associated with both medical/surgical treatment and behavioral health treatment.

This report was commissioned on behalf of The Path Forward for Mental Health and Substance Use by the Mental Health Treatment and Research Institute LLC, a tax-exempt subsidiary of The Bowman Family Foundation.