Suicide‐Related Medical Claims, Downstream Healthcare Costs, and the Economic Impact of Enhanced Outpatient Services

OBJECTIVE: Suicide-related medical claims are often followed by sustained healthcare utilization. This study quantified post-crisis cost trajectories and examined whether coordinated outpatient mental health care was associated with lower downstream spending. METHODS: We analyzed longitudinal medical claims from 13 employers. In Aim 1, individuals with a suicide-related claim (n = 5574) were matched to demographically and clinically similar controls without such claims (n = 16,632). In Aim 2, individuals who used an employer-sponsored mental health program within 1 month of a suicide-related claim (n = 248) were matched to non-users (n = 248). RESULTS: Relative to matched controls, individuals with suicide-related claims incurred more than double the monthly costs during the year following the suicide-related claim, corresponding to adjusted excess of $547 per month ($6564 annually), not including the month of the index claim. Among those with a suicide-related claim, early program engagement was associated with 37% lower monthly spending over Months 1-12 post-claim ($720 less per month; $8637 annually). CONCLUSIONS: Suicide-related claims are associated with sustained economic burden for employers and health plans. Early coordinated outpatient mental health care was associated with lower subsequent healthcare spending, especially spending in acute, high-cost settings. These findings highlight the potential economic value of structured behavioral health services following suicide-related claims.