Pubdate: Sat, 06 Jan 2001
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2001 The New York Times Company
Contact:  229 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036
Fax: (212) 556-3622
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
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Section: Opinion
Author: Nancy Brach
Note: The writer is vice president of the National Council on Alcoholism and
Drug Dependence of New Jersey.

BENEFITS OF MENTAL CARE

To the Editor:

Re "9 Million Gaining Upgraded Benefit for Mental Care" (front page, Jan. 1):

Treating the so-called worried well is not expensive, as claimed by the 
insurance industry, when you are heading off stresses that can drive 
cardiovascular disease, asthma attacks, some cancers and other conditions 
requiring costly hospital stays.

Significant economies may be produced through parity for addiction disease. 
While untreated, these patients dearly cost the community in repeated 
health care, accidents, unemployment and prisons; when treated, many of 
them can be headed off at the pass.

Nationally, treatment for alcoholics and those addicted to other drugs has 
for the last five years been rendered managed care-friendly by the American 
Society for Addiction Medicine — and it's a bargain.

NANCY BRACH

Montclair, N.J., Jan. 1, 2001
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