Health bill is important, but will be costly On March 3, legislation came before the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee, Assembly Bill A-2077, seeking to require all health insurers and the State Health Benefits Plan to cover treatment for alcoholism and other substance-use disorders under same terms and conditions as for other diseases or illnesses. Nobody knows better how important these services are to our community. I serve as the executive director and CEO of Prevention First, a nonprofit agency that provides educational programs and services to schools, businesses and community organizations to counter the negative effects of substance abuse. While I think the goals of this bill are commendable and I support the concept, I abstained on the vote in committee, and will do so should the bill reach the floor of the General Assembly. The reason I cannot support the bill at this time is that it has an estimated cost to the state budget of $16 million. With our state's current financial condition, I cannot in good conscience support a bill that will add to that burden. This is an issue that warrants revisiting when we have pulled our budget in line, but at this time we as legislators need to make tough choices. For me, this was a very difficult choice, but I believe it was the right one for the people that I represent. Mary Pat Angelini Assemblywoman 11th Legislative District