How To Pay For Rehab

If someone needs to go to addiction treatment, the first concern is usually how to pay for drug rehab. Some people believe that treatment isn’t a financially accessible option for them. Costs that come with rehab often deter people from seeking the help they need.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 21.2 million people needed treatment for substance abuse in 2018. Only 11 percent of those individuals, or 2.4 million people, received specialized addiction treatment at a facility. 32.5 percent of those who didn’t receive treatment reported it was due to an inability to afford it.

There are many different options for drug and alcohol rehab that provide services to those trying to get clean and sober, though. The cost of addiction treatment ranges depending on numerous factors such as the types of services needed or the location of the facility.

Figuring out how to pay for rehab can be worrisome but it shouldn’t keep you from seeking treatment. If you’re truly ready to stop using drugs and alcohol there are ways you can get the help you need. Continue reading to find out a few ways to cover the cost of addiction treatment.

Pricing for drug rehab varies on a few main factors:

• Type of treatment needed
• Length of the treatment program
• Location of the facility

Some require higher levels of care than others do. For example, someone who is addicted to prescription painkillers or heroin usually starts with a medical detox and then transitions to inpatient treatment. But someone who wants to stop their heavy but infrequent drinking episodes may only require the aid of an intensive outpatient program.

The longer and more intensive the treatment program, the more that treatment program costs. Rehab costs more for the individual who needs both medical detox and inpatient treatment than it does for the individual in outpatient treatment.

Insurance is one of the most common ways to pay for rehab. Health insurance companies like United Healthcare, Aetna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield offer a wide variety of plans. The details of your coverage for addiction treatment depend on the type of plan you have. Most offer at least some form of coverage to those who need to pay for rehab.

There are a few ways to find out what your insurance company provides in terms of treatment coverage. You can call your insurance company’s customer service department directly and ask for the specifics of your policy. They’ll explain your options and can often find particular treatment centers within your coverage network.

You can also call individual treatment facilities and have their admissions department run your insurance. For example, if there is a particular drug rehab program you want to attend, their admissions department can find out about how much treatment will cost.

The Affordable Health Care Act, or Obamacare, declared drug and alcohol use disorder an essential health benefit. This means ACA-sponsored insurance policies have to consider addiction treatment as important as many other important medical conditions.

Insurance companies also cannot deny coverage to a person because of their drug or alcohol addiction. Individuals can apply for a policy without discrimination due to their struggles with addiction or alcoholism. This provides more people with the opportunity to pay for rehab with the help of adequate healthcare coverage.

Non-profit addiction treatment facilities offer low- or no-cost drug and alcohol rehab to people in need who cannot afford it. The Salvation Army is one of the biggest non-profit treatment providers available throughout the United States. They provide a treatment program and accommodations in exchange for taking on work at the organization.

The availability of non-profit programs depends on where you live. There are other smaller name programs that operate on donations and funding and request little in return for a set stay at the facility.

Another more affordable way to pay for rehab is a sliding scale facility. The cost of treatment shifts depending on an individual’s income and their specific need. Those who can afford to pay more for their program help provide affordable treatment to those who cannot pay as much.