Advocacy October 21, 2009

From left to right: Robert Ross, Henry Bartlett, Kathy Ayers-Lanzillotta, John Coppola, Ron Williams, Congressman Paul Tonko, Paul Samuels, Ira Marion, and Ashley Johnson. Congressman Tonko is presented with an award for his work on behalf of alcohol and substance abuse treatment and prevention services in New York.

On October 21 COMPA, along with more than twenty staff from New York treatment and prevention programs, participated in a day of advocacy with the New York Congressional Delegation in Washington. This event was coordinated by ASAP and by the Legal Action Center. We advocated for a variety of federal funding initiatives and (most importantly) to make sure alcohol and substance abuse treatment is a fully covered mandatory benefit in any version of national healthcare reform which may pass this year.

The Legal Action Center’s Washington office (in particular Dan Belnap and Gabrielle de la Gueronniere) provided the New York staff with an excellent and detailed briefing on the status of the various versions of healthcare reform legislation, and other federal funding and regulatory issues relevant to our field. This gave the New York providers the latest information to use as we held our discussions with congressional members and staff. Without exception, the members of the New York Congressional Delegation pledged to work to make sure that our patients and our providers are not neglected as the debate on national healthcare reform moves forward.

	COMPA The Committee of Methadone Program Administrators of New York State, Inc.


	Advocacy on Capitol Hill From left to right: Robert Ross, Henry Bartlett, Kathy Ayers-Lanzillotta, John Coppola, Ron Williams, Congressman Paul Tonko, Paul Samuels, Ira Marion, and Ashley Johnson. Congressman Tonko is presented with an award for his work on behalf of alcohol and substance abuse treatment and prevention services in New York. On October 21 COMPA, along with more than twenty staff from New York treatment and prevention programs, participated in a day of advocacy with the New York Congressional Delegation in Washington. This event was coordinated by ASAP and by the Legal Action Center. We advocated for a variety of federal funding initiatives and (most importantly) to make sure alcohol and substance abuse treatment is a fully covered mandatory benefit in any version of national healthcare reform which may pass this year. The Legal Action Center’s Washington office (in particular Dan Belnap and Gabrielle de la Gueronniere) provided the New York staff with an excellent and detailed briefing on the status of the various versions of healthcare reform legislation, and other federal funding and regulatory issues relevant to our field. This gave the New York providers the latest information to use as we held our discussions with congressional members and staff. Without exception, the members of the New York Congressional Delegation pledged to work to make sure that our patients and our providers are not neglected as the debate on national healthcare reform moves forward.