The Affordable Care Act and Substance Abuse Treatment

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) goes into effect in earnest in 2014, but already substance abuse experts are predicting the effects the law may have on those with addictions. Most believe that the overall effect will be positive, since currently only a small fraction of those with addictions receive substance abuse treatment. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLP, we are hopeful that the ACA will result in better addiction care under the Marchman Act.

Integrating Substance Abuse Treatment into Overall Health Care

Under the ACA, drug rehabilitation will become part of primary health care, and more efforts will go toward prevention of substance abuse. Furthermore, addiction treatment will be considered an essential service, requiring health plans to provide it. The hope is that prevention and early intervention will reduce the need for forced drug rehabilitation under the Marchman Act, saving money and ultimately lives.

Focus Should Eventually Shift to Addiction Prevention

Imagine if the only people who were treated for heart disease were those who had already had major heart attacks. Unfortunately, that is analogous to the situation with many addicts. Some receive no help at all until their addiction has destroyed relationships, jobs, and lives. There will most likely always be a need for forced drug rehabilitation in severe addiction cases, but there is hope the ACA will prevent some of these cases.

Forced Drug Treatment Won't Completely Go Away

You may be thinking, "That's great, but my loved one is suffering severely from an addiction right now." At Addiction Recovery Legal Specialists, LLC, we're there for you when intervention under the Marchman Act is necessary to save a loved one's life. Unfortunately, many addictions can't wait until the ACA provisions are running smoothly to get help, but you don't have to wait.

There Are Still Several Months Until the ACA Goes Into Effect

It could be a long time before primary care physicians are routinely caring for those in the early stages of addiction. If your loved one has a severe addiction, he or she can't wait. Forced drug treatment is a drastic step, but it is essential in some cases to save lives, so don't hesitate to call.

Forced Addiction Treatment versus Jail Time

Some people argue that forced drug or alcohol rehabilitation isn't effective because attendees don't want to be there. However, when faced with the choice of jail or rehab, even severely addicted people choose rehab. If your loved one has a serious addiction and won't go to rehab, court ordered treatment may be the answer. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services we help friends and family members get help for their loved ones with addictions.

Alcohol Abuse Presents Chronic Danger

Court ordered alcohol abuse treatment is a drastic step, but alcoholism endangers the alcoholic, his or her family, and even strangers if the alcoholic gets behind the wheel. Chronic alcoholism is life-threatening, even in young alcoholics. Unfortunately, some alcoholics don't accept the seriousness of their situation until they are faced with either jail time or court ordered alcohol abuse treatment.

Cocaine Abuse Ruins Finances and Lives

Court ordered cocaine abuse treatment becomes necessary when a cocaine addict can no longer cope with the tasks of daily living, endangering himself or herself as well as others. Running out of money doesn't stop some cocaine addicts, and sometimes nothing short of forced rehab is effective. Court ordered cocaine abuse treatment is preferable to jail for most cocaine addicts.

The Threat of Incarceration Gets People's Attention

Some addictions are severe enough that losing a job, a marriage, friends, or a home isn't enough to convince the addict to seek professional help. These people can be legally compelled to attend court ordered rehab, and if they don't comply, they can end up in jail. Many addicts suddenly decide that rehab is in their best interests when they discover the alternative is spending time behind bars.

You Don't Have to Shoulder the Burden of Helping Your Loved One Alone

If someone you love is losing their life to addiction, you can work through the courts to have your loved one legally compelled to go to rehab. It isn't easy, and it's a drastic step, but in many cases it is a lifesaving step. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, we can advise you on every part of the process, so that your loved one can start conquering addiction as soon as possible.