The study was designed to address gaps in the literature by investigating longer term use of health services by a treated sample of alcoholic members of an HMO. The mean number of visits per year for 1 year before and 4 years after treatment referral were compared for all outpatient clinics combined and four clinic subgroups. The mean number of hospitalizations and number of days hospitalized were also analyzed. Other data collected included age, race, sex, marital status, education, and employment for each patient; medical history, including current symptoms and medical and psychological problems; and alcohol treatment information, including types and amount of previous treatment. Overall, the study found that the use of health services was higher before treatment than after, except for visits to the Psychiatry Department. The amount of treatment received had little impact on the use of health services. These findings suggest that alcoholism treatment contributes to a reduction in the use of higher cost health services. 5 tables, 3 figures, and 8 references