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Final Parity Regulations Go Into Effect On July 1, 2010
 
 Rules implementing the 2008 Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) go into effect for plan years beginning on or after July 1, 2010.

This parity law requires that employers who offer mental health or addiction treatment benefits, and have 50 or more employees, must provide coverage for these benefits on par with the coverage provided for medical and/or surgical benefits.  Historically, mental health and addiction treatment benefits have been subject to much stricter treatment and reimbursement limitations than medical/surgical benefits.  Implementation of MHPAEA means expanded coverage for millions of Americans living with mental illness and/or addicitons.

For more information about your rights and benefits per this new law, please visit Mental Health Parity Watch.  If you are having difficulty accessing these benefits, call the U.S. Department of Labor at 1.866.444.EBSA (3732).    

 

President Obama Passes "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act"

On March 23, 2010, addiction physicians and their patients all over the country won a resounding victory as President Obama signed landmark health care legislation that included many of the principles and provisions advanced by ASAM and the Coalition for Whole Health, a coalition of addiction and mental health organizations of which ASAM is a member.  For more information on the addiction-related provisions in these bills, click here.  [Health Care Reform Bill]  

 
The historic bill signing ceremony capped a seventeen year effort to bring treatment of diseases of the brain in line with the treatment of diseases of the body and built on the foundation laid by the field’s historic parity victory.  When the law is fully implemented, 32 million Americans who are uninsured today will have access to health insurance coverage that includes mental health and substance use disorder treatment services at parity.
 
The President subsequently signed a reconciliaiton bill called the "Health Care Affordability Reconciliaiton Act" that included a number of additional health insurace reforms not contained in the larger bill. 

 

 

President Obama Signs FDA Tobacco Regulation Bill

 

On June 22, 2009, President Obama enacted bipartisan legislation that gives the federal Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate the sale and marketing of tobacco products.  It is hoped that this law will advances public health efforts to significantly reduce addiction to, and disability associated with, tobacco use in America.

 

 

SCHIP Bill Includes Parity

On Wednesday, February 4, 2009, President Obama signed into law a bill that reauthorized the government-funded State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  In addition to extending children’s health insurance to an additional 4 million children, this law also extends mental health and addiction parity to the SCHIP program.    While the Congressional Budget Office estimates that this expanded coverage will cost the government an additional $32.8 billion, a 62 cent-per-pack increase in the cigarette tax should offset most of this. 

 

ASAM Advocacy

The American Society of Addiction Medicine tries to serve its members in many ways.  We believe that one of the most important ways to serve our membership is by helping them to play an active role in shaping government policies that affect their livelihoods and the livelihoods of their patients.

 

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Contacts:

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National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month 

 
 
Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease

Advocacy Action Items

 

How to Prepare for a DEA Office Inspection

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]

 

Physician Locator For Patients and Families Developed
If you are looking for doctors in your area who can prescribe buprenorphine for opioid addiction click here for the SAMHSA [Buprenorphine Physician Locator]
New PCSS Web Site

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]

 


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