APNC is the only North Carolina professional membership organization with a legislative voice that advocates exclusively on behalf of addiction professionals, organizations, and the communities they serve.
APNC is a proud 100% state association member of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the unifying voice of organizations that deliver mental health and substance use services in America. Through this partnership, APNC elevates your voice to the national level and has access to a number of resources to help us advocate more effectively for local policies here in North Carolina.
Recent Wins
SL 2023-141: Stop Addiction Fraud Ethics (SAFE) Act
The bill was signed into law on 10/20/2023 and is a huge step forward in protecting individuals struggling with substance use disorders.
The new law:
- Increases the criminal charge to a Class G felony. This penalty carries a maximum of forty-seven months in prison, and
- Requires Truth in Marketing practices that require certain information to be readily available and advertised to consumers. This prevents patient brokers from using deceptive marketing practices to prey on vulnerable consumers in need of addiction treatment and recovery services.
SL 2022-52: Contract Reform
The bill was signed into law on 7/7/2022 and will significantly help substance use and mental health providers continue their much needed services without interruption.
- provisions for continuity of DHHS contracted services for a 2-year period
- annual contracts to be extended for up to 3 months if they haven’t been executed 10 days prior to the new start date
- requires 10% overhead rate on DHHS contracts unless there is a federally negotiated rate
2023 Legislative Agenda
End Patient Brokering
The Stop Addiction Fraud Ethics (SAFE) Act seeks to eliminate the practice of patient brokering in North Carolina through elevating the crime to a Class G felony and putting “truth in marketing” standards in place to help consumers find ethical, high-quality treatment.
Strengthen Parity Law
To ensure that those in need of treatment can access care, APNC is advocating that the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria be the only allowable criteria in medical necessity determinations for substance use disorders. North Carolina has adopted ASAM criteria in our levels of care and clinical coverage policies, so making this change will ensure consistency when determining medical necessity for substance use disorder treatment.
Targeted Funding Request
APNC has submitted a comprehensive funding request to the state legislature detailing a number of investments that would address the workforce shortage, rate increases, and programmatic improvements and innovations.
Your priorities are our priorities. Reach out here to let us know about an issue affecting your work.
Meet APNC’s Legislative Liaisons
Logan Martin
Prior to co-founding Skyline Strategies, LLC., Logan worked in house for a service provider association doing legislative and policy work surrounding foster care, mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse disorders. Before transitioning to that role, Logan worked within the state legislature as a Policy Advisor to the Senior Appropriations Chairman Nelson Dollar, where he worked on a variety of policy topics including health care, pensions and retirement, judiciary, finance, education, and alcohol reform. Prior to that he worked for the majority whip, Representative Jon Hardister, as a research assistant handling issues surrounding labor, finance, education, and redistricting. He has also managed multiple political campaigns for members of the state legislature since his graduation from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he received his bachelor’s degree in political science.
Andrew Kessler
Andrew D. Kessler, JD, is founder and principal of Slingshot Solutions LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in behavioral health policy. With 20 years of policy experience- and over a decade in behavioral health- Kessler is a fixture in circles that advocate for substance abuse treatment, prevention, recovery, and research. He collaborates frequently with congressional offices, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and other federal actors. He is a frequent contributor to Politico, The Hill, and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Weekly.
Kessler has written legislation and report language published by both the House and Senate, and has presented orally before such bodies as the Scientific Management Review Board, the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, and the National Conference on Addictive Disorders. He is highly sought after as a speaker on substance abuse policy, as well as on advocacy training. He has presented on these subjects around the nation, and on several webinars as well.