Sask. HQC suggest permanent housing, stronger community reduces high-cost use of services by people with mental health, addictions problems

Despite making up only 5% of the study population in Saskatoon, high-cost mental health and addiction clients accounted for 35% of total healthcare spending. Their total healthcare costs were over $150 million each year during the study period (2009-2015). The Health Quality Council’s study is the first of its kind in the country to associate unstable housing and persistent high-cost healthcare use at the individual-level using population health databases. The study identified factors associated with high-cost healthcare use, such as additional medical conditions, schizophrenia, and unstable housing. The HQC found good connection to a primary care provider, particularly for those with more than one mental health condition, decreased the probability of persistent high-cost use.