National health-care reform
Addictions, mental health must be included
Letter to Obama supports urgency of comprehensive reform of health care to include universal coverage.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society has endorsed a letter to President Obama that emphasizes the need to include both addiction and mental health in national health-care reform.
The letter applauds Obama’s strong commitment to health-care reform, and emphasizes that its signers share his urgency to address the issue this year.
It is imperative that adequate and equitable health responses to addiction and mental illness be part of any health-care reform.
“We agree with your view that to succeed, reform must be comprehensive,” the letter states. “It must provide universal coverage and access to necessary care, and utilize evidence-based strategies to improve public health and reduce costs.
“To accomplish our shared goals, it is imperative that adequate and equitable health responses to addiction and mental illness be part of any health-care reform proposals that are developed and enacted on the federal level.”
Chronic diseases
Millions of Americans suffer from untreated mental illness and/or addiction to alcohol and other drugs, according to the letter. It says that medical experts agree addiction and mental illnesses are chronic diseases that can be prevented and treated effectively.
”We appreciate your strong support of the ‘Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008’ in the U.S. Senate,” the letter says, “and your support as a presidential candidate for inclusion of mental health and addiction parity principles in national health-care reform.”
Less than half of the 15 million adults with serious mental illness received treatment or counseling.
The letter points out that less than half of the 15 million adults with serious mental illness received treatment or counseling for a mental health problem and only 18% of the 22.6 million people in need of help for an alcohol and/or drug use problem received any form of treatment in the past year.
“The financial costs and social consequences of untreated addiction and mental illness to families and communities, the health-care system, and to our nation as a whole are staggering,” the letter declares.
Reasons for inclusion
The letter cites several examples why mental health and addictions should be addressed in any reform effort:
Mental health and addictive disorders are the leading cause of combined death and disability for women and the second leading cause for men.
Untreated addiction and mental illness annually cost the U.S. $171 billion in lost productivity.
Untreated addiction and mental illness annually cost the U.S. $171 billion in lost productivity.
Approximately 120,000 deaths each year are due to harmful drug and alcohol use in the U.S., not including deaths from drug-related accidents, or associated diseases such as drug injection-transmitted HIV/AIDS.
Adults with serious mental illness die on average 25 years sooner than those who do not have a mental illness, mainly due to untreated health conditions. Each year in America 32,000 individuals die by suicide.
Individuals suffering with mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction often suffer from other chronic health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, pulmonary disorders, and hypertension. They are less likely to have access to health insurance and more likely to use hospital emergency rooms and other high-cost and less -effective alternatives to ongoing medical care.
“While the impact of untreated addiction and mental illness in this country is substantial,” the letter states, “so are the opportunities to lower health-care costs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans, by providing them with access to critical treatment and recovery services and expanding prevention efforts.”
Mental illness and addiction are preventable and treatable diseases, just like cancer, diabetes, and asthma, according to the letter. “A large body of evidence-based studies shows that treatment for both addiction and mental illness is as effective as the treatment of other chronic diseases and results in comparable cost savings,” the letter stresses. “Preventing and treating mental illness and addiction are essential to promoting wellness and health and reducing health-care costs.”
3 components
The letter puts forth three components a “successful reform of the national health-care system” must have:
- Provide equitable, adequate coverage of addiction and mental health treatment and recovery support services;
- Require all public and private health insurance to cover these critical treatment and recovery services, and promote comprehensive communitywide prevention, early intervention, recovery and research for adults and youth;
- Make addiction and mental health services fully available to all those in need, including family members.
Other endorsers include a wide range of pastoral, legal and medical entities, such as the Legal Action Center, American Assn. of Pastoral Counselors, California Assn. of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Child Welfare League of America, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, National African American Drug Policy Coalition, National Assn. of Social Workers, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, National Foundation for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Action Network.
For more on alcohol and other addictions, visit the Alcohol & Other Addictions page on the General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) Web site: Alcohol & Other Addictions.
Action Network
The Rev. Cynthia Abrams, GBCS director of the Alcohol, Other Addictions and Health Care, supervises an “Action Network” that provides legislative updates, educational resources and identifies opportunities to act on issues involving alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, gambling and pornography. Information focuses on addiction recovery, prevention and regulation. She issues “action alerts” periodically through e-mail.
Joining the Alcohol & Other Addictions Action Network is free: go to umpower.org or click on My GBCS on the General Board of Church and Society Web site, www.umc-gbcs.org. You can also contact Donna Brandyberry, (202) 488-5641.
Cynthia Abrams can be reached at (202) 488-5636. Date: 3/16/2009 12:00:00 AM
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