Poll Finds Marylanders Willing to Pay More in Health Care Premiums to Increase Access, Affordability to Addiction Treatment

BALTIMORE—Open Society Institute-Baltimore today released the results of a local poll that shows broad support for increasing access to alcohol and drug addiction treatment. Seventy-four percent of Maryland residents support including addiction treatment in health care reform, and 62 percent said they are willing to pay more each month in health care premiums to make it more affordable and accessible.

The poll was conducted for the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap (CATG), which is a Baltimore-based national program of the Open Society Institute.

"Maryland residents unfortunately know, firsthand, that addiction can be a life or death health issue," said Diana Morris, director of OSI-Baltimore. "We must do more to close the treatment gap here in Maryland."

A parallel national poll, also commissioned by the Open Society Institute's CATG program, found that more than three-quarters of Americans—77 percent (56 percent strongly)—support including addiction treatment in health reform.

Support for including addiction treatment in health care reform unites people across party lines. Seventy-two percent of Republicans, 88 percent of Democrats and 72 percent of Independents support including addiction treatment in health care reform.

Eighty-eight percent of those polled also say treatment is effective in helping people get better (including 92 percent of Democrats, 85 percent of Independents and 87 percent of Republicans).

Other key information from the poll included the following:

• 67 percent of people in Maryland have suffered from or know someone who has suffered from alcohol or drug addiction (5 percent themselves, 36 percent someone in their family, 20 percent close friend, and 20 percent someone else).
• 54 percent of people think alcohol and drug addiction is a serious or moderate problem in Maryland.
• 76 percent of people believe that addiction should be treated as a chronic health condition, just like diabetes or other diseases.

Conducted by Lake Research Partners from August 6 through August 12, 2009, the phone survey interviewed 400 adults 18 and older in Maryland and has a margin of error + 5 percent. 

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Founded by philanthropist George Soros, OSI-Baltimore is a private operating foundation that supports a grantmaking, educational and capacity-building program to expand justice and opportunity for Baltimore residents. With support from a range of investors, its current work focuses on helping Baltimore's youth succeed, reducing the social and economic costs of incarceration, tackling drug addiction, and building a corps of Community Fellows to bring innovative ideas to Baltimore's underserved communities.

Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap (CATG) is a national program of the Open Society Institute. This initiative is designed to create an awareness of-and increase resources to close-an alarming treatment gap: currently, four out of five Americans who need drug and alcohol addiction treatment are unable to get it. The initiative aims to mobilize public support for expanded treatment by increasing public funding, broadening insurance coverage, and achieving greater program efficiency.