Sample Letter to Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
TO: Elinore F. McCance-Katz, [email protected]
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
Dear Dr. McCance-Katz,
Our family is writing to you from Orange County California where we have more than 45% of California's state-wide recovery residences. We are greatly concerned that California-based recovery businesses are luring recovering addicts from out of state, for access to their insurance contracts. Indeed, Google is so aware of this problem that it has already taken action by limiting for-profit advertising of recovery. (“Why It Took Google So Long to End Shady Rehab Center Ads,” Bloomberg, 9/26/17).
We are writing to ask that you contact the 10 largest health insurance companies in the United States to identify the number of recovering addicts seeking treatment outside their home state, i.e. the immigration and emigration between states for the purpose of addiction treatment. Tragically, the reason some states may have more availability of residential recovery may simply be that they have lower quality licensing and standards. Thus, patients seeking treatment "out-of-network" may in fact be risking their lives. The increase in OD deaths in our county and in Florida suggests that our states may end up being the “last stop” for those seeking treatment… for all the wrong reasons.
The “more fortunate” may be “dumped” when their money runs out. This has led to a dramatic increase in our homeless population, as indicated by Dana Point Police Chief Russ Chilton, who has said, “...an increase in the number of sober-living homes in the area has created a pool of people who become homeless after they are evicted from the homes.” (See California Beach Community Sees Surge in Homeless Population, US News and World Report, 7/30/17)
We believe that destruction from the recent hurricane in Florida is going to divert clients that would have gone to that state to California. SAMSHA has the ability to provide vital data everyone needs to understand these trends. To best deal with the current opioid crisis, California and the federal government need to know why people are traveling great distances for recovery they can get nearby.
Sincerely,
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
Dear Dr. McCance-Katz,
Our family is writing to you from Orange County California where we have more than 45% of California's state-wide recovery residences. We are greatly concerned that California-based recovery businesses are luring recovering addicts from out of state, for access to their insurance contracts. Indeed, Google is so aware of this problem that it has already taken action by limiting for-profit advertising of recovery. (“Why It Took Google So Long to End Shady Rehab Center Ads,” Bloomberg, 9/26/17).
We are writing to ask that you contact the 10 largest health insurance companies in the United States to identify the number of recovering addicts seeking treatment outside their home state, i.e. the immigration and emigration between states for the purpose of addiction treatment. Tragically, the reason some states may have more availability of residential recovery may simply be that they have lower quality licensing and standards. Thus, patients seeking treatment "out-of-network" may in fact be risking their lives. The increase in OD deaths in our county and in Florida suggests that our states may end up being the “last stop” for those seeking treatment… for all the wrong reasons.
The “more fortunate” may be “dumped” when their money runs out. This has led to a dramatic increase in our homeless population, as indicated by Dana Point Police Chief Russ Chilton, who has said, “...an increase in the number of sober-living homes in the area has created a pool of people who become homeless after they are evicted from the homes.” (See California Beach Community Sees Surge in Homeless Population, US News and World Report, 7/30/17)
We believe that destruction from the recent hurricane in Florida is going to divert clients that would have gone to that state to California. SAMSHA has the ability to provide vital data everyone needs to understand these trends. To best deal with the current opioid crisis, California and the federal government need to know why people are traveling great distances for recovery they can get nearby.
Sincerely,