The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

NCADD Action Alert

SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PARITY INTRODUCED IN HOUSE AND SENATE

MARCH 3, 2001

Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and Representative Jim Ramstad (R-MN) have introduced "The Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Act of 2001," to end the discrimination substance abuse treatment patients are subjected to by health insurance providers, who limit treatment options and coverage for addiction treatment, but don't limit treatment of other treatable diseases. The Senate bill is S. 595 and the House bill is H.R. 1194.

BACKGROUND

Of the 70% of Americans insured by private health insurance, few receive benefits for treatment on par with other diseases, in part because of four factors that shape health plan coverage of addiction treatment: 1) annual and lifetime caps that are unequal to that of other diseases; 2) more restrictive day and visit limits than other diseases; 3) higher co-pays and deductibles for employees and their families seeking to heal from addiction; and 4) arbitrary and often undisclosed criteria used by insurers and employers to determine whether treatment services are medically necessary. Fairness in Treatment: The Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Act of 2001 would remove these restrictions and mark the beginning of a new social health movement among leaders seeking to bring a greater public health focus to the nation's drug policy debate.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Send letters to your Senators and Representative urging them to co-sponsor and support The Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Act of 2001 (S. 595, H.R. 1194). Sample letters are at the end of this Alert. Use the NCADD Fairness in Treatment: Parity & Treatment Advocacy Kit to share this information with your media and members. The kit includes "Messages for the Media," "FYI: Fairness in Treatment" Fact Sheet, Sample News Release, Treatment Parity Online Resource List, Sample Letters, and Online Tools. Use this graphic to look up your Senators and Representative in Congress. Simply enter your zip code, click "GO," and your browser will open a new page at the Partnership for Recovery website, which features this online directory with a look-up capability. The Partnership for Recovery provides a sample letter and a blank page for you to compose your own letter, if you prefer (you can use the sample letters below as a guide). Insert a "Websticker" on your website to generate letters among your websurfers. A "Websticker" is the graphic above (and accompanying code) that will users to enter their zip code and access their Congressional Members' contact information and the sample letter supporting treatment parity, courtesy of the Partnership for Recovery. Click here to access the "Webstickers" at the Partnership for recovery website. If you have any questions, please contact the Policy Office via email at publicpolicy@ncadd.org.

SAMPLE LETTERS

Sample Letter to Senators The Honorable (INSERT SENATOR'S NAME HERE) United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator (INSERT SENATOR'S NAME HERE): I am writing to ask your support for the Fairness in Treatment: The Drug And Alcohol Addiction Recovery Act of 2001(S. 595). Please cosponsor this important legislation. This bill was introduced by Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and is of great importance to the 23 million Americans who suffer from the disease of alcohol and other drug dependencies. No disease scars the American landscape more than addiction: per year, one in four die from addiction and the annual tab for taxpayers is $400 billion - six times more than America's number one killer, heart disease. Senator Wellstone's legislation saves lives and money by ending the discrimination that exists in private health plans and provides for a level playing field in the most important area needed to combat America's drug problem: health services. The bill does not mandate that health plans offer substance abuse coverage. However, if a substance abuse benefit is offered, individuals such as myself, cannot be discriminated against by health plans arbitrarily imposing higher co-pays and deductibles, restrictive day and visit limits and lower annual and lifetime caps. People suffering from the disease of alcohol and drug addiction should not be discriminated against. Treatment works: National Institute on Drug Abuse studies have proven that treatment reduces overall drug usage by close to 60%. Several states with parity laws have already demonstrated that the initial investments have been minimal in comparison to the enormous savings in the reduction of crime and health services. Furthermore, the most recent data reveal that even the most expensive estimates for parity total only $5.00 per family member per year. The Chevron Corporation found that for every $1 spent to treat addicted employees saved their company $10. A Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) study found that substance abuse parity would increase premiums by 0.2 percent. In addition, the actuarial firm of Milliman & Robertson found substance abuse parity would increase premiums by 0.8 percent. All estimates on the potential increases are minimal when compared to the enormous savings to America's employers, families, correctional facilities and hospitals. As your constituent, I urge you to cosponsor Senator Wellstone's Fairness in Treatment: The Drug And Alcohol Addiction Recovery Act of 2001 and demonstrate support for the families in your district who suffer from the disease of addiction. Thank you for your interest in this life-saving legislation. Sincerely, (YOUR SIGNATURE) (INSERT YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER) Sample Letter to Representatives The Honorable (INSERT REPRESENTATIVE'S NAME HERE) U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman (INSERT REPRESENTATIVE'S NAME HERE): I am writing to ask your support for the Harold Hughes-Bill Emerson Substance Abuse Treatment Parity Act of 2001 (H.R. 1194). Please cosponsor this important legislation. This bill was introduced by Congressman Jim Ramstad (R-MN) and cosponsored by representatives Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Barney Frank (D-MD) Earl Hilliard (D-AL), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Tom Lantos (D-CA), Bill Luther (D-MN), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Patsy T. Mink (D-HI), Constance Morrella (R-MD), Marge Roukema (R-NJ), Fred Upton (R-MI), and Frank Wolf (R-VA). The legislation is of great importance to the 23 million Americans who suffer from the disease of alcohol and other drug dependencies. No disease scars the American landscape more than addiction: per year, one in four die from addiction and the annual tab for taxpayers is $400 billion - six times more than America's number one killer, heart disease. Congressman Ramstad's legislation saves lives and money by ending the discrimination that exists in private health plans and provides for a level playing field in the most important area needed to combat America's drug problem: health services. The bill does not mandate that health plans offer substance abuse coverage. However, if a substance abuse benefit is offered, individuals such as myself, cannot be discriminated against by health plans arbitrarily imposing higher co-pays and deductibles, restrictive day and visit limits and lower annual and lifetime caps. People suffering from the disease of alcohol and drug addiction should not be discriminated against. Treatment works: National Institute on Drug Abuse studies have proven that treatment reduces overall drug usage by close to 60%. Several states with parity laws have already demonstrated that the initial investments have been minimal in comparison to the enormous savings in the reduction of crime and health services. Furthermore, the most recent data reveal that even the most expensive estimates for parity total only $5.00 per family member per year. The Chevron Corporation found that for every $1 spent to treat addicted employees saved their company $10. A Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) study found that substance abuse parity would increase premiums by 0.2 percent. In addition, the actuarial firm of Milliman & Robertson found substance abuse parity would increase premiums by 0.8 percent. All estimates on the potential increases are minimal when compared to the enormous savings to America's employers, families, correctional facilities and hospitals. As your constituent, I urge you to cosponsor Congressman Ramstad's Harold Hughes-Bill Emerson Substance Abuse Treatment Parity Act of 2001 and demonstrate support for the families in your district who suffer from the disease of addiction. Thank you for your interest in this life-saving legislation. Sincerely, (YOUR SIGNATURE) (INSERT YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER)

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022 phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510 email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)