N.H. Bill Calls for Parity Coverage of Addiction Treatment October 17, 2001
News Summary
The New Hampshire House of Representatives is considering a bill that would require insurance companies to cover treatment of addiction on a par with other illnesses, the Nashua Telegraph reported Oct. 15.Under the measure, the same level of care provided for physical disorders will be required for addictive disorders listed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Currently, health insurers are required to provide parity coverage for mental-health disorders, a mandate included in a law passed six years ago. The New Hampshire Partners for Parity, a coalition of 19 mental-health and addiction treatment agencies, formed last fall to push for parity for addiction.
Opponents voice concerns over costs and question whether addiction is a disease. "It's not like doing a bypass," said Yvonne Nanasi, director of government relations for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire, who also said that parity could cut coverage for other diseases. She called parity "very complex."
But Joe Harding, executive director of Friends of Recovery-New Hampshire, said the complexity lies in people's prejudice towards chemical dependency. "They have it on a moral plane," said Harding. "There are indications opponents would consider parity if the coalition were willing to drop alcohol and drug addiction coverage."
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