House Resolution 33 PAG LIN 1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. ___ 1 2 BY FORD 1 3 A Resolution supporting public policy changes so that 1 4 substance abuse treatment services have parity with 1 5 other services provided under public and private 1 6 health coverage. 1 7 WHEREAS, addictions to alcohol and other legal and 1 8 illegal substances are recognized by the American 1 9 Medical Association as chronic medical conditions just 1 10 as are asthma, hypertension, and diabetes; and 1 11 WHEREAS, health insurance benefits for substance 1 12 abuse treatment do not have parity with the benefits 1 13 available for treatment of other chronic medical 1 14 conditions; and 1 15 WHEREAS, studies show that the treatment approaches 1 16 used for substance abuse are as effective as, or more 1 17 effective than, the treatment approaches used for 1 18 other chronic medical conditions; and 1 19 WHEREAS, the need to address substance abuse is 1 20 especially significant to minorities; for example, 1 21 survey results from 2000 suggest that 6.4 percent of 1 22 African=Americans age 12 and up used an illegal drug 1 23 during the previous 30 days, and in 1999, non=Hispanic 1 24 African=Americans made up 12 percent of the nation's 1 25 general population but accounted for 23 percent of 1 26 admissions to publicly funded substance abuse 1 27 treatment facilities; and 1 28 WHEREAS, research by the Substance Abuse and Mental 1 29 Health Services Administration of the United States 1 30 Department of Health and Human Services indicates that 2 1 requiring comprehensive parity for substance abuse 2 2 treatment would increase family health insurance 2 3 premiums by approximately one percent annually; NOW 2 4 THEREFORE, 2 5 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 2 6 That implementation of comprehensive parity for 2 7 substance abuse treatment is a public policy priority 2 8 for the State of Iowa; and 2 9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That comprehensive parity 2 10 should be achieved for private coverage by prohibiting 2 11 individual and group health insurance policies from 2 12 having terms, conditions, or benefit levels that place 2 13 a greater financial burden on an insured for provision 2 14 of substance abuse treatment than for treatment of a 2 15 medical, surgical, or other physical condition; and 2 16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That comprehensive parity 2 17 should be achieved for public coverage by prohibiting 2 18 Medicare, Medicaid, and other government=funded or 2 19 government=sponsored health coverage programs from 2 20 having terms, conditions, or benefit levels that place 2 21 a greater financial burden on an insured for provision 2 22 of substance abuse treatment than for treatment of a 2 23 medical, surgical, or other physical condition; and 2 24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the 2 25 House of Representatives shall transmit an official 2 26 copy of this resolution to the President of the United 2 27 States and the members of Iowa's congressional 2 28 delegation. 2 29 LSB 2560HH 80 2 30 jp/pj/5