[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 35 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H1514-H1515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PASS THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PARITY ACT NOW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, nearly 26 million Americans are presently 
suffering from the ravages of drug and alcohol addiction. There is an 
epidemic in America, a national crisis of alcohol and drug addiction. 
One in 10 people in the United States of America is addicted to drugs 
and/or alcohol.
  The statistics, Mr. Speaker, are absolutely shocking. Alcoholism and 
drug addiction cost this country $90 billion last year, in addition to 
even greater human costs: the shattered dreams; the tragic deaths; the 
violent crime; broken families; shattered, broken lives. Alcohol abuse 
alone last year killed 100,000 people in this country.
  A recent study by Columbia University's National Center on Addiction 
and Substance Abuse found that 80 percent of American prisoners, 80 
percent of the 1.2 million Americans locked up today, are there because 
of drugs or alcohol.
  Mr. Speaker, as a recovering alcoholic myself, I know firsthand the 
value of treatment for chemical addiction. Mr. Speaker, I am here to 
speak from personal experience that treatment works. I ask my 
colleagues to consider the following facts that make clear the 
effectiveness of treatment.
  A University of Pennsylvania study by Dr. Thomas McLellan found that 
long-term treatment is just as effective as long-term treatment for 
diabetes. Research by former Assistant Health Secretary Philip Lee 
found that every dollar invested in treatment for chemical dependency 
can save $7 in future costs: medical costs, incarceration costs, social 
service costs, and so forth.
  A Rutgers University study found that untreated alcoholics incur 
health care costs that are 100 percent higher than for treated 
alcoholics or alcoholics. After treatment, Mr. Speaker, the days lost 
to illness, sickness claims, and hospitalizations drop by one-half.
  A Brown University study found that drug and alcohol treatment could 
reduce crime by over 80 percent, and a Minnesota study, a study in my 
home State of Minnesota, evaluated our treatment programs and concluded 
that Minnesota last year saved $22 million in health care costs because 
of treatment.
  Mr. Speaker, the facts are clear: treatment works. Treatment is cost-
effective. Assuring access to treatment will not only combat this 
insidious disease, but it will also save health care dollars.
  As someone who stays very close to other recovering people in 
Minnesota and to treatment professionals in our State, I have been 
alarmed by the dwindling access to treatment in this country. In fact, 
over the last decade, 50 percent of the treatment facilities in America 
have closed. Even more alarming, over the last decade, 60 percent of 
the adolescent treatment centers in our country have closed. The 
current system either blocks access for addicted people, or greatly 
limits their treatment experience.
  It is time to put chemical dependency on par with insurance coverage 
for other diseases. That is why I have introduced the Substance Abuse 
Treatment Parity Act, H.R. 2409. This commonsense and cost-effective 
legislation would expand access to treatment by prohibiting health 
plans from imposing limits on substance abuse coverage that are 
different from those requirements for other health care services.

                              {time}  1845

  All this bill does is provide parity for treatment of substance 
abuse. This would remove barriers to substance abuse treatment without 
significantly increasing health care premiums. In fact, we have all the 
empirical evidence in the world, study after study to show that this is 
cost effective. In fact, one released just yesterday by the Substance 
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows how inexpensive 
and cost effective this legislation is. That study, released yesterday, 
shows that the average health care premium would only increase by two-
tenths of 1 percent per month. So for the cost of a cup of coffee, 
$1.35 a month, we could treat 16 million Americans who have insurance 
but are presently being blocked from treatment because of these 
barriers, higher copayments higher deductibles, limited hospital stays, 
and so forth.

[[Page H1515]]

  Mr. Speaker, Congress can take a big step this year to knock down 
barriers to treatment. Just as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 tore down 
barriers to integration, just as the Americans with Disabilities Act 
tore down barriers for people with disabilities, this year we can knock 
down barriers to treatment for people who are suffering the ravages of 
drug and alcohol addiction. We can pass the Substance Abuse Treatment 
Parity Act and make treatment available for 16 million more Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just close by saying this is a life-or-death 
issue because chemical addiction is fatal if it is left untreated. So, 
I urge my colleagues, please join me in cosponsoring H.R. 2409.

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