Coalition for Whole Health Advocacy for the Passage of Healthcare Reform

In a major victory, ground-breaking expansion of addiction and mental health coverage of prevention, treatment and recovery was included as part of the final healthcare reform bill passed in March 2010.

Read more about our current advocacy on the implementation of healthcare reform.

Click the links below for in-depth analyses of the new law by LAC.


Our Work

Medical experts agree that substance use disorders and serious mental illness are chronic diseases that can be prevented and treated effectively. Including the full continuum of mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery support services in healthcare reform will improve the quality of life for millions of Americans and dramatically reduce healthcare costs.


■ Healthcare Reform Letter to the Congressional leadership: 

In January 2010, over 110 organizations from the addiction prevention, treatment and recover, mental health, public health, children's advocacy, HIV/AIDS, criminal justice, civil rights and housing communities, wrote to the leadership of the House and Senate, emphasizing the need to include key provisions for mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery support services in the final national healthcare reform package.

 

■ Healthcare Reform Letter to the Congressional leadership:

In September 2009, over 206 organizations from the addiction prevention, treatment and recover, mental health, public health, children's advocacy, HIV/AIDS, criminal justice, civil rights and housing communities, including nearly 100 national organizations, wrote to the bi-partisan leadership of the House and Senate, emphasizing the need to fully and equitably include mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery support services in national healthcare reform. Copies of the letter were sent to the White House and key leaders in the executive branch.


■ Recommendations for Inclusion of the Health Responses to Addiction and Mental Illness in National Healthcare Reform:

Over forty national organizations in the mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery communities have developed and signed on to recommendations on including the health responses to addiction and mental illness in national healthcare reform.


  • Benefit Design and the Delivery of Care: To be successful, national healthcare reform must recognize substance use disorders and mental illness as preventable, treatable health conditions, as accepted by the American Medical Association, all other public health and medical standards, and decades of scientific research. Reform should strive to guarantee universal access to the full range of quality physical health, mental health, and substance use disorder services. Ensuring that the full range of mental illness and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery support services are available and accessible to all those in need will help tens of millions of Americans lead healthier lives and will save billions of dollars in health care costs.
    Click here for the Coalition’s recommendations on Benefit Design and the Delivery of Care

     

  • Reforming the Healthcare Delivery System: To be successful, healthcare reform must be comprehensive and far-reaching, focusing on improving the quality of care and ensuring access while implementing long-term strategies to improve public health, prevent disease, and reduce costs. National healthcare reform must include reform of the nation’s healthcare delivery system and ensure that care is accessible and better coordinated. Healthcare delivery system reform will greatly improve our nation’s health and save billions of dollars. Reform of the healthcare delivery system is essential to more effectively address the needs of the 25 million Americans currently suffering from untreated mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders.
    Click here for the Coalition’s recommendations on Reforming the Healthcare Delivery System

     

  • Wellness Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Initiatives: Reform of the national healthcare system represents a unique opportunity to improve our nation’s health and curb the enormous costs associated with untreated chronic disease. Research shows that mental illness and substance use disorders prevention and early interventions reduce the incidence of other costly co-occurring chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and certain cancers in both individuals and their family members. Chronic disease management practices that keep families healthy will improve public safety as well as contain skyrocketing health care costs.
    Click here for the Coalition’s recommendations on Wellness Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Initiatives

     

■ Feedback to Congress on Proposed Healthcare Reform Legislation:

  • The House Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means Committees recently released draft healthcare reform legislation. The Coalition for Whole Health analyzed this legislation and provided Committee members with comments on the draft bill.
    Click here for the Coalition's comments to the House Committees on the draft healthcare reform bill

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  • The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee recently released draft legislation, The Affordable Health Choices Act, aimed at reforming the healthcare system.  The Coalition for Whole Health analyzed this legislation and provided the Senate with comments on the draft bill.
    Click here for the Coalition’s comments to the Senate HELP Committee on the Affordable Health Choices Act

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  • The Senate Finance Committee recently released draft legislation, America’s Healthy Futures Act, aimed at reforming the healthcare system. The Coalition for Whole Health analyzed this legislation and provided the Senate with comments on the draft bill.
    Click here for the Coalition’s comments to the Senate Finance Committee on the America’s Health Futures Act

     

    ■ State of Play and Side-by-Side Comparison of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Provisions in Healthcare Reform Bills:

    Three Committees in the House—Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor—have completed their work on healthcare reform legislation. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee has also reported a bill. The Coalition for Whole Health has provided a detailed side-by-side comparison of key mental health and substance use disorder provisions in the completed bills.

    Click here for the Coalition's State of Play and Side-by-Side Comparison of mental health and substance use disored provisions in healthcare reform bills

     

    ■ Healthcare Reform Letter to President Obama:

    In March 2009, 176 organizations from across the country, including 83 national organizations, wrote to President Obama, outlining the critical need for including mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery support services in national healthcare reform. Copies of the letter were sent to the White House and key leaders in the executive branch, including the President's nominees to direct the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Department of Health and Human Services. Copies were also sent to a number of leaders in the U.S. House and Senate who will play major roles in developing and passing healthcare reform legislation.

    Click here for the letter to President Obama


    ■ Study Shows Majority of Americans Support Efforts to Make Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment More Accessible, Affordable:

    A study released in June 2009 examines attitudes toward the accessibility and affordability of alcohol and drug addiction treatment to the many Americans who need these services, including veterans. The poll shows that Americans of all walks of life are personally touched by addiction and half of them say they could not afford treatment if they or a family member needed it. They are also concerned that people addicted to alcohol or drugs may not be able to get treatment because of cost or lack of insurance coverage – a concern likely heightened by the current economic recession. For these reasons, most Americans support including access to affordable addiction treatment as part of national healthcare reform.