Jim Ramstad: “I rise to offer a critical missing component to the bill before us today. In an attempt to overcome germaneness hurdles…”

“I rise to offer a critical missing component to the bill before us today. In an attempt to overcome germaneness hurdles, I have modified this amendment so it will not amend ERISA. However, I am aware that other parliamentary concerns have now been raised and I may be forced to withdraw my amendment. Mr. Chairman, let me say this. While the goals of this anti-drug package before us today are certainly laudable, we will never even come close to a drug-free America until we knock down the barriers to chemical dependency treatment for the 26 million Americans out there tonight suffering the ravages of drug and alcohol addiction. Twenty-six million American addicts already today. Since 1956, as we all know, the American Medical Association has said addiction is a disease. We all pay lip service to it, but only 2 percent, only 2 percent of the 16 million Americans covered by health insurance plans which purport to cover chemical dependency treatment are able to get effective treatment. Ninety-eight percent of those covered by insurance plans cannot get effective treatment. Mr. Chairman, that is because treatment for addiction is discriminated against, unlike treatment for any other diseases. Barriers to chemical dependency treatment that the insurance companies erect include discriminatory caps, artificially high deductibles and copayments, as well as other restrictions on treatments such as limited treatment stays that are not imposed on other diseases.”