Late last night Congress ended the longest federal government shutdown in history. A short-term budget extension was agreed to by just enough votes to pass in the Senate with the House of Representatives following. The final agreement included passage of three of the twelve appropriations bills and a promise in the Senate to vote on continuation of the Affordable Care Act subsidies. The remainder of government funding will continue under existing budget limitations until January 30.  If some agreement is not reached on the Affordable Care Act subsidies by then, another shutdown could be in our future.

When federal government shuts down, some impacts are obvious, like air traffic being reduced. Some are not as obvious to the general public, such as federal dollars to support SUD treatment and other government supported health care services. While those moneys are eventually paid, it causes real hardships on those depending on the assistance.

NAATP is keenly aware of the potential impact should the Affordable Care Act subsidies not be renewed. Since residential SUD treatment is one of the ten essential benefits, many individuals access care because of that coverage. If subsidies disappear, millions will be unable to afford coverage and thereby lose access to SUD treatment. We are hopeful that Congress and the Administration will come together so that millions of Americans do not lose the only health insurance they can afford.

On the good news front, NAATP congratulates our members and policy makers in Illinois for enacting a state level mental health and SUD Parity law. Since enforcement of the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act has not occurred at the federal level, we have for years worked with the Kennedy Forum to encourage our members and coalition partners to pass legislation allowing the states to enforce this critical law.  Well done, Illinois!