Health Reform Signed into law

I wanted to share the email I received from the professional association I am a member.

What Does It Mean for Addiction Professionals?

Dear Paula,

Yesterday, President Obama signed the long-debated comprehensive health care reform bill into law. The new law is intended to reduce health care costs and enable 30 million uninsured Americans to get health insurance.

Throughout the health reform debate, NAADAC's goal was to ensure that each draft of the bill fully and fairly included addiction services and addiction professionals. We are pleased to say that the health reform law builds on the success of the 2008 Wellstone-Domenici Parity Act and further expands benefits and coverage for people in need of treatment. For example:
Substance use disorder services are included as part of the minimum benefits package required for health plans serving the individual and small group market in the newly created insurance "exchanges."
The bill expands Medicaid eligibility to 133% of the poverty limit and requires that even low-income adults without dependent children be eligible for Medicaid. Addiction services must be included as part of the benefits package for all newly eligible Medicaid enrollees.
Addiction professionals are specifically included in a number of workforce-related provisions, including several adolescent-focused grant programs.
Please visit www.naadac.org/advocacy to read a detailed summary of the addiction-related provisions in the health reform law.

If you have any questions about the new law, please e-mail Director of Government Relations Daniel Guarnera at daniel@naadac.org.