Push to Protect Addiction Treatment Under Health Law Is Primed

The Wall Street Journal ^ | 2017-01-13 | JEANNE WHALEN

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Advocates for substance-abuse treatment are hoping to protect the insurance coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act by lobbying Republican legislators in states hit hard by the opioid-addiction crisis.

The advocacy groups aim to “start educating legislators” on how a repeal of the ACA, without a replacement plan to preserve coverage, would undermine efforts to address a public-health crisis that has become a major political issue, according to Gary Mendell, founder of Shatterproof, a New York-based nonprofit that lobbies for legislation to fight addiction.

Shatterproof, which plans to spend $300,000 on the campaign, is working alongside the National Council for Behavioral Health, a Washington, D.C., organization that represents the interests of 2,800 providers of mental health and addiction treatment.

[b4me]

Some have actual disease, some have thinking/self made problems. ALL need God for any hope of lasting change.

Talking/psycho counseling, Rx, in patient, out patient etc etc etc, is not sufficient without the person having help from God.

[libertylover]

Advocates for substance-abuse treatment are hoping to protect the [ridiculous] insurance coverage provided by forced upon them by the Affordable Unaffordable Care Act

[SueRae]

Bravo! It is a disease.(epidemic) The successes of effective treatment programs need more of a voice/advocates.

[GailA]

PORK!, what about the 1.33 MILLION CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS WHO NEED PAIN MEDS TO FUNCTION, AND ARE BEING CUT OFF.

[i_robot73]

>
The idea that a government — especially the Federal government — should me mandating ANY kinds of coverage for ANYTHING is what made ObamaCare such a disaster to begin with.
>

We need to stop debating from step 20 and go from the beginning: The idea that govt, ESPECIALLY Fedzilla, has ANY authority to mandate XYZ is what made our Republic what it is today.

Those needing coverage for ABC should be paying for ABC, not forced as ‘basic’ to be paid by the majority. I have yet to meet many addictions that falls within the definition of insurance: UNEXPECTED.