The Recovery Bill of Rights
is a statement of the principle that all Americans have a right to recover from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Learn more…
Affordable Care Act Resources
Keep informed about the implementation of national health reform using the resources below:
1) Position Statement on the Delivery of Substance Use disorder, Mental Health and Health Services under Heatlh Care Reform published by the Maryland Stakeholders for Substance Use Disorder Services, December 2011.
2) NCADD-New Jersey's Health Care Reform Series looks at four topics: 1) addiction as a chronic disease; 2) supports and services to sustain recovery from addiction; 3) the basic components of health care reform; and 4) the specifics of health reform as it pertains to addiction treatment, November 2011.
3) Consumer-Oriented Substance Use Disorder Care and Coordination: Guiding Principles is a powerpoint presentation given by Faces & Voices founding board member Carol McDaid to the Washington Circle Group, October 2011.
4) Peer Recovery Coaches Promote Long-term Recovery from Addiction is a presentation by Tom Hill, September 2011.
5)Recovery Coaches & Delivery of Peer Recovery Support Services: Critical Services & Workers in the Modern Health Care System presentation by Carol McDaid, August, 2011.
6) The Looming Expansion and Transformation of Public Substance Abuse Treatment Under the Affordable Care Act by Jeffery A. Buck examines the changing landscape in which substance abuse services are to be delivered under the new health reform law.
7) Coalition for Whole Health resources. Faces & Voices belongs to the Coalition for Whole Health. Check out their website for resources and fact sheets.
8) Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Understanding Health Reform: Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan Tip Sheet
- Undertstanding Health Reform: What Does Health Reform Do?
- Understanding Health Reform: Quick Facts on Health Reform
- Understanding Health Reform: Commonly Used Terms in Health Reform
- Health Reform Webinar Series
9) The Recovery Community Services Program’s Annual Conference on March 2-4, 2011 on "Unlocking the Value of Peer Recovery Support Services in an Era of Change" included the following presentations.
- Recovery in the Midst of Change by Dr. Westley Clark
- Thriving in an Era of Change: Repositioning Peer Support Services for New Opportunites by Ijeoma Achara
- Peer Recovery Support Services in an Era of Change, Part 1: Emerging Models
- Methodological Choices in Assessing the Quality and Strength of Evidence on Effectiveness by Stephen Gardner
- Tailoring Peer Services How Health Reform, Parity and Recovery Inform The Mission by Bill Hudock
- Web Resources
10) Health Care and You is a new web site to help you understand the Affordable Care Act from organizations including the AARP, American Cancer Society and other health organizations
11) Carol McDaid, Faces & Voices board member and principal at Capitol Decisions, powerpoint presentation on Looking Ahead: Paul Wellstone and Pete Dominici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Affordable Care Act.
12) The Alliance for Health's Explaining Health Reform Implementation is an excellent resource with articles, websites, timelines, and analyses of various aspects of the new health reform law. The Alliance for Health Reform’s issue brief, Health Reform Issues for Employers and Consumers, is a brief, easy to use explanation of issues including consumer protections under the Affordable Care Act.
13) Understanding Health Reform: A Community Action Guide for African Americans was developed by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to help consumers, providers, researchers, policymakers, and others better understand the new law— the benefits available to them and its potential for strengthening our nation’s health and healthcare system. In addition, the guidebook arms readers with knowledge that can help them become more engaged in advocating for health care resources in their communities.
15) How to Build and Maintain Relationships with State Officials
The historic health care legislation signed into law by President Obama will dramatically expand benefits and coverage for people with addiction. When the law is fully implemented, 32 million Americans who are uninsured today will have access to health insurance coverage, including for addiction. The new law builds on the principle of equity for addiction with other health conditions in the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and marks significant progress in making it possible for many more Americans to get the help they need to recover from addiction.
Some of the key provisions include:
- Includes substance use disorder services are required benefits in basic benefit package for individual and small group market.
- Requires that all plans in the health insurance exchange comply with the Wellstone-Domenici Act so that substance use disorder service and mental health benefits are provided in the same ways as all other covered medical and surgical benefits.
- Expands Medicaid eligibility to 133% of the poverty limit and requires eligibility for low-income adults without dependent children, people who have been excluded until now. Substance use disorder and mental health services must be included as part of the benefits package for all newly-eligible Medicaid enrollees.
- 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 including addiction, charging higher premiums based on health status, and placing annual or lifetime caps on insurance coverage.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and The Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act includes numerous provisions affecting health care coverage, the health care delivery system, and sources of revenue for the financing of reform. Some of these provisions will go into effect immediately, while some will be implemented over the next decade. The Commonwealth Fund has put together some useful timelines that help understand them:
- Health Care Reform Implementation: Health Insurance Provisions
- Health Care Reform Implementation: System and Delivery Reform Provisions
- Health Care Reform Implementation: Revenue Provisions