Substance abuse treatment is eligible to be covered by health insurance plans because of two pieces of recent legislation:
- The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 prohibited health insurance providers from discriminating against or deny coverage to those with a history of alcohol or drug addiction.
- The Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act of 2010, colloquially referred to as “Obamacare,” reclassified mental health and substance abuse treatment services as essential health benefits to which anyone with an eligible plan is entitled.