Legal Action Center Urges New York State to Take New and Bold Steps to Combat the Prescription Drug and Heroin Epidemic
January 9, 2015
New York State should take additional forceful, targeted actions to address the public health emergency of prescription drug and heroin dependence. “Using $298 million that has been allocated to its Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) for 2015, the State now has an opportunity to create even more momentum in its efforts to combat the scourge of addiction and prescription drug and heroin misuse,” according to Paul Samuels.
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Conrad N. Hilton Foundation awards $1.35 million grant to Legal Action Center and its partners, Treatment Research Institute and Truven Health, to address adolescent substance use care
December 18, 2014
In an effort to improve adolescent wellness, prevention and early interventions, Legal Action Center (LAC) has partnered with the Treatment Research Institute (TRI) and Truven Health Analytics (Truven Health) to assess how the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (Parity Act) is impacting adolescent substance use care.
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LAC’s Director of Policy, Tracie Gardner, Discusses End Of AIDS initiative on WABC’s ViewPoint
December 8, 2014
On Sunday, December 7, Tracie Gardner, LAC’s Co-Director of Policy, joined colleagues and fellow NYS End of AIDS Task Force members Benjamin Bashien, Executive Director of ACRIA, and Doug Wirth, CEO of Amidcare, on an episode of WABC’s Sunday morning news show ViewPoint to talk about the End Of AIDS initiative.
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Action Alert: Call-In Day 9/10/14! SUPPORT SECOND CHANCE REAUTHORIZATION!
September 10, 2014
The Second Chance Act provides critical reentry resources at a time when they are desperately needed. In 2009, federal and state prisons held over 1.6 million inmates—one in every 199 U.S. residents—and released 729,295 individuals back to their communities.
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LAC Director and President Paul Samuels Quoted in New York Times Discussing Impact of IMD Exclusion
July 11, 2014
July 11, 2014 – Today the New York Times published an article on how a decades old provision in Medicaid law is limiting the Affordable Care Act’s promise of expanded access to needed substance use disorder services. The provision, known as the institutions for mental disease (IMD) exclusion, prohibits Medicaid payment for service provided in residential treatment facilities that are larger than 16 beds.
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NY A.G. Schneiderman Fines EmblemHealth $1.2 M for Denying Addiction & Mental Health Benefits
July 9, 2014
July 9, 2014 – New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a settlement with EmblemHealth for wrongly denying addiction and mental health treatment to thousands of New Yorkers in violation of state and federal parity laws.
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LAC Praises Governor Cuomo’s Announcement of the Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration
July 8, 2014
Governor Cuomo today announced the creation and membership of the Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration, which he had proposed …
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ACT NOW! Action Alert: Tell SAMHSA to Protect Privacy Rights of Addiction Treatment Patients
May 12, 2014
Background: On May 12, 2014, the federal government announced that it is considering changing the 40-year-old regulations (known as 42 C.F.R. …
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LAC Files Class Action Lawsuits Against Background Screening Companies
May 1, 2014
The Legal Action Center has filed three class action lawsuits to send a message to criminal background screening companies, in …
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NY A.G. Schneiderman Settles with MVP Health Care Over Violations of Parity Laws
March 20, 2014
March 20, 2014 – New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a groundbreaking settlement with a health insurer …
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