Health care cost increases due to opioid use and overdose U.S. in 2016, by payer

It was estimated that opioid overdoses resulting in emergency room visits and subsequent hospital admissions resulted in increased health care costs of 3.5 billion U.S. dollars to Medicare in 2016. Indirect costs of opioid use and overdose such as the increased risk and treatment of specific diseases cost Medicare an additional 2.9 billion dollars.