The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare”, is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010.

Substance Abuse and the Affordable Care Act

http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/healthcare

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) put in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will make health insurance available to many more people, lower health care costs, a guarantee of more health care choices, and enhance the quality of health care for all Americans.

The ACA includes substance use disorders as one of the ten elements of essential health benefits. This means that all health insurance sold on Health Insurance Exchanges or provided by Medicaid to certain newly eligible adults starting in 2014 must include services for substance use disorders.

By including these benefits in health insurance packages, more health care providers can offer and be reimbursed for these services, resulting in more individuals having access to treatment. The specific substance abuse services that will be covered are currently being determined by the Department of Health and Human Services, and will take into account evidence on what services allow individuals to get the treatment they need and help them with recovery.