Fund programs most likely for success

Regarding the Daily Herald article on funding for heroin treatment, I think I know why the governor changed the proposed law's funding.

I was a small-business owner, I provided my employees with an excellent and expensive health plan. One of my valued employees developed a heroin problem. My health plan paid for him to get private help. He did not work for several months. Our plan paid him near half his wage while he was in treatment. My insurance spent over $70,000 on him. After he came out he resumed work. In several weeks, he was back on heroin.

He quit to work on his own so he could continue his addiction. In four months, he was dead. My insurance company increased the portions of the policy that covered lost wages and drug treatment. His wife also received the proceeds of a life insurance policy. Very tragic.

I would like to know how effective are these programs. They are extremely expensive and I found do not work very well. I think the state should expect these program's success rates to make financial sense. Ilinois has a limited amount of money. Is the success rate 90 percent, 10 percent, 3 percent?

Illinois has many problems and it should fund those programs that have the best rate of success. All I have learned is these programs have a very poor return for the $$. There is a limited amount of money that Illinois can beg or borrow. The governor must decide where they will do the most good.

Dushon O. Lipensky

Wheaton

630-653-3891