This article compares substance abuse benefits and medical-surgical benefits in employer-sponsored insurance programs during 2006.  Though 88 percent of individuals with employee-sponsored health insurance had substance abuse coverage, that coverage was more limited than for medical-surgical benefits.  Those limitations include: higher cost sharing, annual limits, and limits on in-patient treatment.   

Gabel, J. R., Whitmore, H., Pickreign, J. D., Levit, K. R., Coffey, R. M., & Vandivort-Warren, R. (2007). Substance abuse benefits: Still limited after all these years. Health Affairs, 26(4), w474–w482. 7 June 2007. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.26.4.w474 http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.26.4.w474v1 © 2007 by Project HOPE.

Authors: Jon R. Gabel, Heidi Whitmore, Jeremy D. Pickreign, Katharine R. Levit, Rosanna M. Coffey, Rita Vandivort-Warren