June 7, 2007 - Employer-sponsored coverage for substance abuse treatment continues to lag behind coverage for general medical care, according to a new analysis by NORC senior fellow Jon Gabel and co-authors.  Their findings were released today by the journal Health Affairs as a Web Exclusive.  Read the paper here.

Gabel and his colleagues analyzed data from a new supplement to the Kaiser/Health Research and Educational Trust Employer Benefits Survey.  The study was supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Among the findings:

• 88 percent of insured workers had access to coverage for substance abuse services but only 19 percent were enrolled in plans without limitations on office visits or hospital stays. This is in contrast to general medical care, where limitations on office visits and hospital days are almost never capped.

• Deductibles for substance abuse benefits were, on average, 46 percent higher than for medical and surgical services.

• 40 percent of workers were in plans requiring coinsurance for substance abuse benefits, while only 12 percent of workers were in plans requiring coinsurance for medical benefits.