IS IT COSTLY TO TARGET PREGNANT WOMEN WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND HIV PREVENTION PROGRAMS?
Implementation of a Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MET-CBT) program to promote drug abstinence in pregnant women is associated with modest costs. We conducted a micro-costing study that prospectively collected detailed resource utilization and unit cost data for each of the two intervention arms (MET-CBT and BA) within the context of a randomized controlled trial. From the societal perspective, the total cost (including participants’ time cost) of the MET-CBT intervention was $120,483 or $1,469 per participant. In contrast, the total cost of the BA intervention was $27,199 or $316 per participant. Personnel costs (nurse therapists and obstetric providers) for delivering the intervention sessions and supervising the program composed the largest share of the MET-CBT intervention costs. Program set up costs, especially intervention material design and training costs, also contributed substantially to the overall cost.
