Health Insurance & Substance Use Treatment Need – based on 2004 & 2005 data

The report determines that although health insurance is one of the primary methods of payment for substance use treatment, many people who need treatment for substance use do not receive it, and lack of health care coverage is one of the most common reasons given for not receiving treatment.

Key points from the report included:

• Adults aged 18 or older needing addiction treatment in the past year were less likely than adults not in need of treatment to have some type of health insurance coverage in the past year (74.4 percent vs. 86.6 percent).
• Of the persons aged 18 or older who needed and felt the need for treatment, but did not receive it, 31.2 percent indicated they did not receive treatment because they did not have health insurance coverage and could not afford to pay for the cost of treatment.

This document is available at  www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/insurance/insurance.htm.