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State parity laws increased substance use disorder treatment

Implementing state substance use disorder parity legislation increased treatment by 9% in specialized substance use disorder treatment facilities and by 15% among those that accept private insurance, according to data published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Researchers from Emory University and the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Center System conducted a quasi-experimental study to determine what effect state-level substance use disorder parity laws have on treatment rates and to quantify the effect of recent federal substance use disorder parity legislation. To do so, they analyzed data from the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services on treatment rates for all specialty substance use disorder treatment facilities in the United States from October 2000 to March 2008.

The primary outcome was treatment rates by state in specialty substance use disorder treatment facilities and those accepting private insurance.

In all specialty facilities, the implementation of substance use disorder parity laws increased treatment by 9% (P<.001); in those accepting private insurance, the rate was 15% (P=.02). This rate was increased by 13% in states that implemented full parity (P=.02) and by 8% in those that implemented parity only if substance use disorder treatment coverage was offered (P=.04) in all facilities. In facilities that accepted private insurance, the rate was increased by 21% with full parity (P=.03) and by 10% with parity only if substance use disorder treatment coverage was offered (P=.04).

"Our study provides useful information into the potential effect of the implementation and the comprehensiveness of substance use disorder parity on access to substance use disorder treatment and, in broad terms, the potential of financial incentives and policy leverage to influence treatment-seeking behavior," researchers wrote.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.