Health Reform Update - 1/15/10

Passage of a final health care package may be imminent (see below for an update), so action today is critical!

Earlier this week, over 110 organizations from the addiction prevention, treatment and recovery, mental health, public health, children's advocacy, HIV/AIDS, criminal justice, civil rights and housing communities wrote to the leadership of the House and Senate, emphasizing the need to include key provisions for mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery support services in the final national healthcare reform package. Click here to read this letter to Senate Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Please share this letter with your key contacts, Members of Congress and other decision-makers today to ensure that the final health care bill includes these key addiction and mental health provisions. Your voice is needed to make sure that addiction and mental health services and providers are fully and equitably included in final health care reform legislation.

Health Care Reform Update:

Congressional leadership continues to work to craft a final health care bill by reconciling key differences between the bills approved by the House and the Senate.

It has been reported that House and Senate leaders are close to agreement on a health care reform deal and that a final package will be submitted to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for scoring possibly as soon as tomorrow. President Obama and the Democratic Congressional leadership continue to push for the House and the Senate to approve a final health care package later this month or in early February. We will keep you posted as the process moves forward.