24/7 Admissions | Call Now:
(866) 317-8395

Blog

Finding an Alcohol or Drug Treatment Center That Takes My Insurance

By Dr. Edward A. Selby, Ph.D.

Will my insurance cover treatment?

One of the biggest questions people have when considering intensive treatment for an alcohol or drug problem is whether their insurance will cover the treatment. This is a critical issue to address when deciding on a treatment program for yourself or someone you care about since the costs of a long-term stay can definitely add up. The good news is that many employer-based insurance programs will fully cover the costs of detox treatment, inpatient residential recovery, and ongoing outpatient programs. Insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem, Cigna, and Aetna frequently cover patient stays with the BeWell Recovery Centers, for example. However, there are so many insurance programs out there with so many different policies that readers are encouraged to get an insurance verification in advance from a reputable treatment center to find out what is actually covered by their insurance and what the costs if any, will be.

BeWell Offers Confidential, No Cost, No Obligation Insurance Verification and Review. Call Now

(866) 317-8395

Having good insurance coverage is a major predictor of success in overcoming addiction, especially when such coverage will cover both behavioral and medication-assisted intervention (Meinhofer, A., & Witman, 2018). Fortunately, most forms of insurance will cover some degree of substance abuse treatment, which is a notable improvement compared to 20 years ago, due to major changes arising from the Mental Health Parity Act (2008) and the Affordable Care Act (2010). Yet, the procedures and options covered by an insurance plan will vary widely. For example, medication-assisted treatments such as suboxone is not covered by some insurance plans, despite strong calls from the medical community for commercial health plans to cover these treatments (Polsky, Arsenaut, & Azocar, 2020).

Some research suggests that if consumers don’t understand their insurance, they are less likely to utilize it (McLeod & Adepoju, 2018). Given the complexities of health insurance, this is a good reason to contact a reliable treatment center to see what levels of care are covered by insurance. While it’s true that prospective patients can learn much from their insurance company about what level of care would be covered, let’s face it, insurance companies don’t typically have stellar customer service. Furthermore, the job of the treatment center is to advocate on your behalf and ensure that you get as much treatment covered as possible. Whereas your insurance company’s job is biased toward trying to save themselves money, not you.

The best way to understand what your insurance will cover is to consult a reputable treatment center directly

Therefore, the best way to understand what your insurance will cover is to consult a reputable treatment center directly. The BeWell Network offers confidential, no-cost, no-obligation insurance verification and review. The job of the treatment center is to make your coverage easy and clear, that way you can make the most informed and best decision for your care. Furthermore, in consulting the treatment center, you’ll get additional details that your insurance provider can’t provide. For example, your insurance company cannot quote you the cost of treatment at a specific treatment center.

One important consideration is whether the treatment program is in your insurance’s network and whether there are certain out-of-pocket costs. Depending on the type of insurance you have, some addictions treatment programs may be part of your insurance plan’s in-network coverage, but if the treatment facility you choose is not covered, you could face a substantially larger bill. It’s also helpful for potential patients to know if they will be paying any specific co-pays or will require a referral from a primary care provider. Fortunately, due to changes arising from the passage of the No Surprises Act in 2020, in following years medical billing should become very transparent and help you make informed choices.

Another factor to consider with your insurance is whether your plan covers treatment of mental health concerns beyond addiction. This is because mental health and addiction are often enmeshed together, and a major step in treating addiction could be addressing underlying depression, anxiety, or trauma experiences (Wang & Xie, 2019). Some insurance plans may have differential benefits for addictions treatments versus psychological or psychiatric treatments, and a facility approved by your plan for treating one condition may not necessarily be approved for another condition. Therefore, readers are highly recommended to communicate frequently with their insurance providers and treatment facility if they have any concerns about the coverage of their plans.

 

BeWell Offers Confidential, No Cost, No Obligation Insurance Verification and Review. Call Now

(866) 317-8395

Lastly, it’s also important to be aware that many substance abuse treatment centers do not accept Medicaid, Medicare, or other government insurance plans. If a government insurer provides your health insurance, you may have to be prepared to spend additional time searching for an addictions treatment program that accepts your coverage. Additional information about government insurance coverage of addiction treatment can be found here.

Conclusion

Many employer-based insurance programs, like those working with BeWell recovery centers, will cover intensive inpatient and outpatient services, including medically supervised detox and medically assisted treatments like suboxone. In fact, many patients may be unaware of the amount and level of substance abuse treatment benefits, and if they are considering addictions treatment, they should consult their insurance companies to see what levels of care and treatments are covered. Even better, potential patients or family members are encouraged to reach out to reliable treatment providers like those in the BeWell Network directly, and patient support will be happy to provide confidential, no-cost, no-obligation insurance verification and review. Knowing that treatment and recovery from addiction are covered by your loved one’s insurance may help with making that difficult but important decision of seeking much-needed help!

 

BeWell Offers Confidential, No Cost, No Obligation Insurance Verification and Review. Call Now

(866) 317-8395

 

References:

McLeod, A., & Adepoju, O. (2018). Toward a Health Insurance Literacy Model: What Do Young Consumers Know about Insurance?. Perspectives in Health Information Management, 1-17.

Meinhofer, A., & Witman, A. E. (2018). The role of health insurance on treatment for opioid use disorders: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion. Journal of Health Economics, 60, 177-197.

Polsky, D., Arsenault, S., & Azocar, F. (2020). Private coverage of methadone in outpatient treatment programs. Psychiatric Services, 71(3), 303-306.

Wang, N., & Xie, X. (2019). Associations of health insurance coverage, mental health problems, and drug use with mental health service use in US adults: an analysis of 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Aging & Mental Health, 23(4), 439-446

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Still have questions? Give us a call today.

  • No Obligation When You Call
  • All Contact Is Completely Confidential
  • Expert and Caring Staff Ready For You

Call Today: 866-317-8395

Accreditations & Memberships


SMHSA logo
DHCS logo
BBB logo