How Do You Find Out if Addiction Treatment is Covered?

Addiction is a powerful and chronic disease that affects millions of lives every year. Many have made the decision to change their lives for the better and seek treatment, but may be left with a puzzling question. They may be asking themselves how they will ever afford the cost of addiction treatment and if it is covered.

Thankfully, advancements have been made to recognize the importance of addiction treatment. Finding affordable healthcare is now easier than ever and the rate of those uninsured has plummeted. Do not let the cost of rehab cause you to turn back down the wrong path. There are options to help you get on the road to recovery and lead a healthier life.

What Types of Coverage Options are Available?

Addiction is now considered an essential benefit of health and is required to be covered. The health insurance marketplace is a combined online directory of insurance providers. Here, a person can view different insurance providers and purchase a plan. All plans listed on the marketplace are required to provide some form of coverage for addiction treatment.

You may be wondering if insurance will cover the costs of rehab. The short and easy answer is that it will. In a great majority of cases, insurance providers will cover the cost of rehab because it involves treatment of a disease. However, insurance policies will differ according to the plan. You can realistically expect at least a portion of your rehab expenses to be covered by your insurance plan. It is important to discuss your options with a treatment center of your choice or your insurance provider.

What is the Affordable Care Act?

Before the Affordable Care Act, it was presumed that most Americans had health issues that were going unaddressed. This was due to the rise in medical costs and the lack of affordable healthcare. Those who were suffering from mental health issues, addiction, or other conditions may not have found treatment unless they deemed it to be life-threatening. Instead of putting money into a healthcare plan, they may have instead saved up money to pay for one ailment at a time.

However, after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, more affordable healthcare has been made available. The uninsured rate in the United States has dropped, meaning that more people are covered by health insurance. These health insurance plans may vary, but most included coverage of mental health issues and addiction treatment. What is covered and the amount covered depends on each individual’s insurance policy.

Coverage of Drug Addictions

Through the health insurance marketplace, all insurance plans must provide care under ten different health categories. These categories are considered essentials. One of these essential health categories is addiction treatment. Those insurance companies that are not on the marketplace are considered to be private practices. While they are not required to cover those categories, most do, to later be sold on the marketplace.

Insurance companies do not split up drug and alcohol addictions into separate categories. Addiction care simply encompasses all substances. This means that regardless of the substance, if addiction care is listed, it will be covered. That is because this allows the plan to be more cost effective. Insurance companies do not want to pay for testing, interviews, or consultations with doctors to determine what substances were used. That is why they will just simply cover addiction treatment and care.

Coverage of Rehab Facilities

While an insurance policy may cover treatment options, they may not cover a specific facility. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are over 14,500 active treatment centers in the United States. Policy coverage for these treatment centers will vary. Your policy will inform you which treatment centers are in their network and which ones are out of their network. If you choose an out of network facility, you may have to pay more money out of pocket.

Addiction treatment centers provide their patients with several different types of options. Even if a specific treatment center is covered, only a certain treatment program may be covered. A treatment center may offer inpatient detox, outpatient detox, inpatient rehab, and outpatient rehab. While an insurance provider may cover all of these, they may also only cover one or a few from the list. Calling your specific provider can help to clear up any questions you may have.

Are Mental Health Disorders Covered by Insurance?

The Affordable Care Act made it so plans were required to cover the same level of care for mental health issues that they do for physical concerns. Mental health disorders often run co-morbid alongside addiction and are a cause for concern. The level of care and the cost must be the same, coverage wise. For example, a provider covering a hundred dollars for a back problem, must also cover a hundred dollars for anxiety treatment. These laws surrounding mental health coverage applies to all sorts of programs, including those provided by employers.

The Cost of Addiction

The cost that addiction can have on your life is far greater than the cost of rehabilitation. Addiction is a chronic, brain disease that affects every aspect of a person’s life. Besides shelling out money to fuel the disease, addiction takes a toll on every other facet. It is emotionally and physically draining. However, it is never too late to get the treatment you deserve. Enrolling in a treatment program can help to change your life for the better, one step at a time.

We keep a dedicated team of healthcare professionals that put your needs above everything else. You will receive an expert evaluation that will assess your medical history and help to determine which treatment option may be right for you. You will have professional support and be in a safe, welcoming environment to help foster new growth. We strive to provide the best in treatment options. That is why they are available to answer any questions you may have 24 hours a day. Call today and get the help you deserve.