The National Impact   An update for friends of the National Advocacy Campaign for Smarter and More Effective Alcohol and Drug Policies February 1, 2011  In This Issue LAC Director Presents at IOM Panel on Essential Health Benefits IOM testimony Coalition recommendations to IOM   Our Voice on SUD/MH in Healthcare Reform Implementation  NFQ MAP letter Coalition strategy prevention comments Comments on CHIPRA Quality Measures Coalition Work Behind the Scenes SAAS to Focus on State-Level Input and Education Coming Soon: President’s Budget, NY Provider Association Visit, and SAAS Meeting   Quick Links The Roadmap for Smarter and More Effective Alcohol and Drug Policies 2009 Benchmarks Opportunities and Threats Join the Campaign Now!         Welcome back to “The National Impact,” our monthly e-newsletter to keep you updated on the campaign’s advocacy efforts! Many thanks to all the supporters who have made our successes possible.  Together, we can dramatically alter the national landscape so that fewer people suffer from alcohol and drug problems, the addicted receive the care they need, and people in recovery can live healthy and productive lives.  LAC Director Presents at IOM Panel on Essential Health Benefits The Institute of Medicine held a series of meetings in January to develop recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services on how to define “essential health benefits” under the new healthcare reform law. The IOM asked Legal Action Center Director/President Paul Samuels, who also serves as co-chair of the Coalition for Whole Health, to testify on behalf of the substance use disorder and mental health fields. In his testimony, Mr. Samuels stressed the coalition’s recommendations emphasizing the need for broad, robust coverage of the full continuum of care, including: The full range of quality mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery support services; The clinically appropriate amount, duration, and scope of care; All services, interventions, and strategies to help people avoid disease or achieve and maintain long-term wellness; Ongoing support to help people manage their disease throughout their lifetimes; Services for children and families; and Services that are culturally appropriate.   The federal healthcare reform law requires that all qualified health plans in the small group and individual markets, and coverage made available through the Medicaid expansion, include a set of required health benefits that includes mental health and substance use disorder benefits, at parity with other health benefits. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that by the time they are fully implemented in 2019, the essential health benefits protections in the law will apply to approximately 45 million Americans.  With additional meetings on the issue planned for March, the IOM panel is expected to release its recommendations to HHS in the next few months. Our Voice on SUD/MH in Healthcare Reform Implementation Healthcare reform implementation is well under way, and the federal government and its partners have asked for public comment on a number of important proposed regulations. Already this year, the coalition has developed and submitted three sets of comments:  A joint letter from the coalition and the Mental Health Liaison Group to the National Quality Forum on its proposed Measure Applications Partnership Coordinating Committee. The letter encouraged the committee to add representatives from SAMHSA and additional MH/SUD experts to the panel. A coalition response to questions from the Department of Health and Human Services on the proposed National Prevention Strategy. The Coalition’s comments emphasized the need for a stronger SUD/MH focus. Comments to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality on its proposed Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIPRA) Pediatric Quality Measures Program. The comments applaud the inclusion of SUD/MH, while reiterating the need for specific quality measures, expanded screenings, and improved data collection. Coalition Work Behind the Scenes In addition to the public appearances and submissions noted above, the Coalition is also using smaller groups to focus on more specific efforts related to health reform implementation, including the Criminal Justice Working Group, which is developing specific recommendations on how to ensure that criminal justice-involved individuals receive all of the benefits and protections of the health reform law.   The Coalition will continue to coordinate the efforts of the mental health and substance use disorder fields to advocate for the full inclusion of those with, in recovery from, or at risk of MH/SUD in the future healthcare system. SAAS to Focus on State-Level Input and Education SAAS will begin providing technical assistance to its state association members, supported in part by a grant from the Open Society Foundations. With an overall goal of getting more people into treatment, we are focusing state-level advocacy on three important areas: Providing meaningful input as state plans and regulations are developed; Increasing access by educating individuals, families, and communities on their new rights and benefits; and Ensuring compliance with parity and healthcare reform regulations. Stay tuned! You'll hear more about the activities and tools as our plan unfolds. Coming Soon: President’s Budget, NY Provider Association Visit, and SAAS Meeting SAAS and the Legal Action Center are gearing up for a busy February, as the new Congress settles in and the president prepares to release his budget proposal in the week of February 14.  It will also be a busy month of advocacy. We are looking forward to the New York Association of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers advocacy day in Washington, DC, on February 9. The annual SAAS Winter Meeting is also coming up in Washington, DC, from February 22 to 25. The gathering will include a day of advocacy on Capitol Hill and dozens of meetings with legislators to encourage their strong support of SUD-related federal funding and programs. Join the Campaign!!   These advocacy efforts are just the beginning. As a friend of the substance use disorder field and as someone who believes in the power of advocacy and the reality of recovery, we know that you will find the National Advocacy Campaign for Smarter and More Effective Drug and Alcohol Policies as exciting as we do. In order to make the work of the campaign possible, please consider joining the effort to change alcohol and drug policies. Become a member by making a secure online contribution today (and select the National Advocacy Campaign from the drop-down box). Thank you for your support! Innovators Illinois Alcoholism & Drug Dependence Association • Jason R. Flom   Champions The Association of Substance Abuse Programs in Texas • Community Partnership of Southern Arizona • The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation • Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceutical Founders Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. • Agency for Community Treatment Services, Inc. •  Association for Behavioral Healthcare of Massachusetts • Baltimore Behavioral Health • Bridges for America  •  Terry Brown • Charles Bush California Association of Addiction Recovery Resources • CARON-Comprehensive Addiction Treatment Recovery for Life • Randolph E. Cloud • Colorado Association of Alcohol & Drug Service Providers, Inc. • John Coppola • County Alcohol and Drug Program Administrators Association of California • DePaul Treatment Centers, Inc. • Richard J. Dillon • Drug and Alcohol Service Providers Organization of Pennsylvania • Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association • Florida Certification Board • Debra Gilmour • Adam Harrington • Cynthia Humphrey • JBS International, Inc • Robert B. Levy • Maine  • Mississippi Association of Addiction Services  •  Richard J. Nance • National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - Maryland • Nevada Alliance for Addictive Disorders Advocacy, Prevention and Treatment Service • Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Services Providers • Operation PAR, Inc. • Oregon Prevention Education and Recovery Association • Proaction Behavioral Health Alliance • Michael F. Reagan • Rosecrance Substance Abuse Treatment Centers • Paul N. Samuels • Arthur J. Schut • Julie Shepard • Spectrum Programs, Inc/Miami Behavioral Health Center, Inc. • David Sterling • The Harbor Behavioral Health Care Institute • The Refuge, a Healing Place • TopLine Professional Strategies, LLC • Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities of Illinois • Utah Behavioral Healthcare Network • Thomas Van Wagner • Becky Vaughn Friends BayCare Behavioral Health  •  Central Florida Behavioral Health Network  •  Drug Abuse Treatment Association  •  EPIC Community Services •  Franklin-Williamson Human Services, Inc. • Gateway Community Services  •  Patrick Maloy • Craig Peck • The South Suburban Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse • Sutton Place Behavioral Health  •  Parker Thomson  •  Tri-County Human Services  •  The Village South (Westcare)     Donors Herbert Barish McKyle Clyburn • Thomas M. Del Vecchio • George Demarest • The Janssen Foundation • Beth Lang • Bruce Lesman • Barrett L. Silver • John B. Trammell • Arthur Wallace Thank you for supporting the National Advocacy Campaign!