1. The nation needs universal access to a minimal benefits health care package that will provide psychiatric treatment for alcoholism and substance-related disorders as part of a basic package along with treatment for additional psychiatric illness at a parity with treatment for medical and surgical illnesses and as a core of a managed competition system. Benefits must include screening, evaluation, detoxification, treatment and follow-up with psychiatric input to ensure quality care. Treatment in inpatient, organized outpatient and other practice settings should be supported.

3. AAAP supports increased funding for research on alcoholism and drug abuse, including new treatment development and treatment outcome research.

Psychiatry is the medical specialty with the greatest number of physicians active in addiction treatment. It is the only specialty with ABMS approved added qualifications in addictions and has 85% of the medical fellows in the field. Approximately 70% of patients with addictions have additional psychiatric diagnoses which must be taken into account. Psychiatrists are best able to correctly screen and diagnose (and avoid overdiagnosis or pseudodiagnosis) patients with substance related disorders and have the most effective means of integrating medications as part of treatment. Psychiatrists are also best able to address biological and psychosocial issues.

Substance-related disorders have genetic influences, have a major impact on the family and the workplace, increase unemployment, have a biological basis like other medical illnesses and require medical and psychiatric care. The most effective current techniques and most cutting-edge treatments require careful diagnosis and targeting of the right treatment to the right patient. Relapsing patients frequently fail because of lack of treatment for an additional psychiatric diagnosis and because of inadequate treatment targeting.

The American Psychiatric Association is developing treatment guidelines for substance-related disorders that provide quality minimal standards for treatment that should be accessed and supported by minimal coverage. AAAP is in support of quality affordable care with universal access.