Legislative and Regulatory Issues of Interest

ASAM is primarily concerned with state and federal policies that would expand access to treatment for the 23 million Americans who suffer with substance use disorders.  These policies might focus on: "parity" in health insurance coverage for mental health and addiction disorders; the repeal of state alcohol exclusion insurance policies; expanding and improving addiction treatment for America's veterans; regulating the marketing of tobacco and alcohol products to our youth; increasing the appropriation of federal dollars to the agencies within HHS, DOJ, DOD, etc. that provide addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery resources. 

What We Do 

As a 501 c 3 organization, ASAM relies heavily on its grassroots advocacy network to advance addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery policies with our state and federal legislatures.  To that end, ASAM organizes annual "lobby days" in Washington, DC, issues ASAM Action Alerts that activate immediate grassroots action regarding a particular policy, produces a monthly Advocacy Newsletter that keeps ASAM members aprised of the various legislative issues we are supporting, and maintains a website that provides detailed and timely policy and special event information as well as an "advocacy toolkit" to facilitate our members' grassroots efforts. 

ASAM also organizes Capitol Hill policy briefings in an effort to educate Congress about the health, economic, and legal benefits of implementing pro-addiction treatment policies.  In order to amplify our efforts, ASAM routinely works within mental health and addiction coalitions that represent a broad spectrum of public and private mental health and addiction issues.      

Who We Are

Director of Government Relations, Alexis Geier Horan, ageier@asam.org, (301) 656-3920 x103.

Chairman of ASAM Parity Action Group, A. Kennison Roy, MD.

Chairman of ASAM Buprenorphine Action Group, Mark Kraus, MD.

ASAM members who have a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration to prescribe buprenorphine/naloxone or buprenorphine in an office setting may be inspected by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).  [DEA Inspection Guidance]

This is a new website designed primarily for mentors, which features the web-based system they use for contacts and a restricted list serve [www.PCSSmentor.org]