The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions. Most plans currently impose higher co-pays and deductibles, restrictive day and visit limits and lower annual and lifetime caps for addiction treatment. Congress seeks to end this discrimination and provide much needed treatment on par with all other chronic, relapsing and fatal diseases. People suffering from the disease of alcohol and other drug addiction should not be discriminated against. Send the release to the city desks of your local newspapers and to the assignment editors at your local radio and television stations.
Addiction is the number one health problem in America - and no disease costs society more.
I am convinced that full parity in health plans would quickly begin to reduce the huge burden untreated addiction inflicts on our hospitals, judicial system and communities. Among all diseases, alcoholism and drug addiction are the most economical diseases to treat. A report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reviewed studies of five states with full substance abuse parity laws. They discovered that the costs associated with full parity for substance abuse treatment tended to have little impact on health insurance premiums and initial expenditures were minimal when compared to the value of the resultant societal benefits. The substance abuse parity legislation falls on the heels of the nation's renewed interest in focusing on more effective ways to solve the country's drug problem.