Nearly Half of Americans Say They Couldn’t Afford Alcohol or Drug Treatment

Nearly half of U.S. adults — 49 percent — say that they would not be able to afford alcohol or drug treatment if they or someone in their family needed it, according to a telephone survey conducted this past June.

While adults with annual incomes under $50,000 are most likely to say they would not be able to afford treatment (67%), more affluent adults also perceive an inability to pay for treatment. Thirty percent of those with incomes between $75,000 and $100,000 and one-fourth of those with incomes above $100,000 didn’t think they would be able to afford treatment if they needed it.

R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, recently stated that his office will be “working to ensure drug abuse treatment services are incorporated into our national health care reform process.”