Healthcare Bill Includes Landmark Expansion of Addiction and Mental Illness Coverage

In a major victory, ground-breaking expansion of addiction and mental health coverage of prevention, treatment and recovery is a part of the final healthcare reform bill passed on Sunday. The bill:

• Includes substance use disorder and mental health (SUD/MH) services as required benefits in the basic benefit package for individual and small business health plans.
• Requires that all plans in the health insurance exchange comply with the Wellstone/Domenici Parity Act in providing SUD/MH benefits in the same way as all other covered medical and surgical benefits.
• Expands Medicaid eligibility for all Americans up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level and require newly eligible parents and childless adults receive coverage that includes SUD/MH services provided at parity.
• Includes SUD and MH prevention strategies and efforts in the bill’s chronic disease initiatives.
• Includes the capacity of the mental and behavioral health workforce as high-priority topics in the bill’s National Workforce Strategy section.
• Includes insurance reforms and consumer protections critical for individuals seeking or in recovery, including prohibiting insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, charging higher premiums based on health status, and placing annual or lifetime caps on insurance coverage.

These reforms represent significant progress as we continue to advocate for the expansion and improvement of our nation’s health responses to alcohol and drug addiction, including prevention, treatment, recovery, and research.

In the coming days, LAC will conduct and issue a more in-depth analysis of the healthcare reform bill and its ramifications. Please stay tuned.