Dear ASAM Members,

Like many of you, I was disheartened to see Congress advance harmful health care reforms in its One Big Beautiful Bill. It amounts to a colossal reduction in federal support for Medicaid, the backbone of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and mental health services in America.     

Despite this outcome, I’m in awe of the extraordinary advocacy shown by our ASAM members. By engaging in our advocacy campaigns, you continually showed up and spoke out for the people and communities we serve.   

In fact, your emails and calls to Congress secured important protections for people living with SUD.   

The final bill exempts them from burdensome work requirements. And SUD services are exempt from cost-sharing mandates in Medicaid.   

Now, we must ensure that these protections are implemented generously, so that no person with SUD is left without the care they need and deserve.    

Our focus in the months ahead is to mitigate the harms from this bill and ensure that all Americans with addiction have unobstructed paths to recovery. Despite setbacks, we press on. The health and well-being of those we care for depend on it.  

Thank you for your support, tireless advocacy, and resilience. 

Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM 
ASAM President