How To Pay for Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment

When deciding to enter an out or inpatient drug or alcohol rehab, one of the main concerns that must be addressed is how to pay for rehab.

So if you have questions regarding how to pay for rehab, this page is what you need in learning how to pay for inpatient & outpatient substance abuse rehabilitation using public & private insurance, scholarships, healthcare credit care financing, crowdfunding, grants, and medical loans, etc.

Paying for your drug and alcohol addiction rehab

The cost of rehab can discourage people from entering treatment, which should not be the case.

Rehab costs vary according to the available levels of care, the duration of each program and the facilities where rehab is to take place.

Residential rehabilitation treatment is typically the most expensive because it offers the highest levels of care, though they are sometimes unable to teach patients how to maintain sustained recovery.

If you are only concerned with how to pay for your alcohol and drug addiction treatment there is no need to worry because there are many options available that will help you to cover some or all of your rehab costs.

Remember that you are not just paying for a service, you are investing in your recovery. The cost of not getting help outweighs the fees you will pay to rehab centers for treatment. Addiction rehab does work.

Matter of fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse states on of their publications that “According to research that tracks individuals in treatment over extended periods, most people who get into and remain in treatment stop using drugs, decrease their criminal activity, and improve their occupational, social, and psychological functioning.”

So do not let cost be an obstacle that prevents you from getting the addiction recovery facility services that you deserve.

Different payment options include public insurance offered by different companies like Medicaid and Medicare, private insurance, healthcare credit card financing, crowdfunding, group insurance plans offered by employers, medical loan institutions, rehab financing, scholarships, charities, grants, and help from friends and family, etc.

We will discuss them in more detail below.

What are substance abuse and addiction rehab?

Before going deeper into the topic of understanding how to pay for rehabs, one should first understand what substance abuse and addiction rehab actually are.

Substance abuse and addiction rehabilitation is a treatment process created for and used to overcome any dependency on alcohol, drugs such as opioids, etc.

When you enter these rehabs for treatment, you learn how to sever the grip of substance abuse on your life.

You should seek help from an addiction rehab center when you find you have lost control and the use of drugs or alcohol becomes a necessary routine.  

This routine often leads to dangerous situations in your life.

There are many addiction treatment centers around the country that aim to help adolescents, men, and women to overcome substance abuse.

These rehabilitation centers are also categorized based on the type of substance abuse programs they offer for alcohol, drugs, and others.

That is whether they offer an outpatient or residential facility.

Addiction rehab centers provide different treatment programs based on the intensity of the addiction.  

They each offer different options to pay for the addiction treatments patients need to recover from their addictive behaviors.

Treatment options for those dealing with addiction issues

There are different treatment options for drug and alcohol abuse. Some of these are:

  • Detoxification (this is not a treatment in itself but part of the whole treatment process. It is usually the first patient do before going to a rehab center for the duration of their program)
  • Inpatient treatment
  • Outpatient treatment

These treatment programs apply various strategies after careful evaluation of the patient. Some of these include:

  • Medication
  • Behavioral counseling
  • Therapies for mental health like anxiety and depression
  • Relapse prevention courses
  • Pain reduction medications and exercises to combat withdrawal symptoms

Inpatient substance abuse treatment programs

This program includes overnight private or shared stays.  They include on-site meals for a particular period of duration. Inpatient programs are divided into the following categories.

  • Hospital programs

The hospital has the capacity to utilize its other services like surgical, medical, and psychiatric units to add to their addiction treatment options. They provide detox and rehab services. They are suitable for heavy drug abuse patients.

Outpatient substance abuse treatment programs

Patients visit the center during the day to attend various therapies and activities. These programs are typically inexpensive and lessen the concern of how to pay for rehabilitation programs. The treatment programs can be any one of the following:

This program is a more intense full-time outpatient program that is also referred to as a day treatment program. It is comparable to inpatient programs with the exception that the patient heads home after each treatment session. Patients visit the treatment center about 5-7 days a week and attend activities and therapies. Sessions typically last 6 to 10 hours a day. This program is also known as the day treatment 

This is a part-time treatment option that allows the patient to go home after each of their treatment sessions. The patient will visit the center 3 to 4 days a week with about 3 to 6 hours for each session. There is also an option to pick a short or long term treatment. For those concerned about the cost of alcohol and drug addiction rehabilitation, this is a great inexpensive option.

  • Regular outpatient programs

This program option provides the most freedom to their patients.  The sessions are really short and some patients will only go in 2 times a week. There are no restrictions and only a little structure. It is suitable for highly motivated and less addicted patients. It is also considered to be more of an aftercare program.

Various treatment time length options

The rehab treatment facilities offer a certain duration period for their programs. Below is a quick overview of some of them.

These programs last only a short while. The duration ranges from 2 weeks, 28 days to one month. Clients stay at the facility and participate in activities including therapies, relapse avoidance classes, and more. It is suitable for patients who need a short period of intensive care and who are highly motivated to take good care of themselves after their official rehab is complete.

These facilities normally are 60,90, 120, 180-days in duration. There are also one-year programs. With a longer stay, patients can be trained to cope with addiction and relapse issues. Long term rehab programs, especially, the 90 days and above programs have proven to be more successful than short term treatments.

The different payment options for addiction rehab

Cost should not be the only factor to determine the potential effectiveness of a treatment plan. The different payment options available should also be considered.

The different payment available can help one undergo the needed therapies without the worry of how to pay for alcohol and drug addiction treatment.

Some of these programs offer payment options to cover both your rehab and detox costs.

Some of these options you can use in combination to get the treatment that you need for your addiction recovery.

Some of the major payment options are explained below.

  • Public Insurance such as Medicare and Medicaid

Medicaid provides health care aid to low-income families. Medicaid covers mandatory aspects of substance abuse recovery.

There are many other insurance options available for you to choose from. Medicare, another public insurance, covers the treatment of people ages 65 and older.

A drawback is Medicaid and Medicare is not accepted in all rehab centers.

  • Private Insurance
  • Crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundme
  • Borrowing from friends
  • Health care loans
  • Credit card financing

How to pay for rehab: Using public insurance such as Medicare and Medicaid

Public insurance like Medicare and Medicaid insurance is one of the different options for paying for addiction treatment.

Medicare

Medicare comes with a monthly premium and depends on the recipient’s income.

It helps to pay for outpatient and inpatient drug and alcohol rehab. The insurance has four parts, each serving the different needs of different recipients.

  • Part A
    • Insurance for inpatient care
    • Covers 60 days of treatment
    • Recipients need to pay a deductible
    • Covers 190 days of inpatient for the lifetime of the patient
  • Part B
    • Covers outpatient treatment
    • Covers 80% of the total payment
    • Also treats multiple occurring disorders
  • Part C(Medicare Advantage)
    • It is private insurance approved by Medicare
    • Used when extra benefits are needed
    • Covers out-of-pocket costs
    • Inpatient care
    • Home care
  • Part D
    • Type of prescription insurance
    • Covers treatment medication cost

*According to Science Direct, the federal funding for inpatient rehab has come a long way from the first measure to nationalize the health insurance in 1916, Medicare act of 1965 and so on.

Medicaid 

This is another type of insurance that takes the burden from you when deciding how to pay for rehab. The following services are covered by Medicaid.

  • Detox
  • Inpatient care
  • Outpatient visits
  • Screenings
  • Medications
  • Other mental health services

Following is the eligibility criterion for Medicaid insurance

  • A parent
  • Under 19 years old
  • Over 65 years old
  • Within a specified low-income bracket

How to pay for drug and alcohol rehab: Private Insurance

Private insurance through an employer group plan for employees or buying personal health insurance from various companies is another option for paying for rehab programs. Private insurance follows the rules enforced by the Affordable Care Act.

Under this act, addiction is not also considered a pre-existing condition that will stop you from getting treatment. This makes it easy for you to forget the worries of paying for alcohol and drug addiction treatment.

The following treatments are covered under this act:

  •  
  • Clinic visits
  • Medical detox can also be covered
  • Treatment Medication
  • Brief intervention
  • Addiction evaluation
  • Family counseling
  • Drug and alcohol testing

Following are a few of the eligibility criteria:

Paying for addiction treatment using medical loans

Loans from banks and financial institutions can help to solve the problem of how to pay for rehab with low-interest loans.

Loan companies offer specialized and personalized offers and packages to support payment for rehab.

The loan packages are also affordable and have a low-interest rate as compared to other different options to pay for the drug and alcohol abuse and addiction recovery services. Some of these companies are My Treatment Lender and Prosper Healthcare Lending.

Healthcare Credit Cards 

Healthcare credit card is facilitated through different companies such as Care Credit, MedKey, AccessOne, and others. They provide drug and alcohol rehab payment options for people who have both high and low credit scores.

Some healthcare credit cards may have high-interest rates but are ultimately affordable because of longer repayment terms, short-term and immediate funds access, and attractive promotions.

Care credit is one of the more used medical credit cards.

More than 175,000 healthcare providers accept Care Credit.  

This card can be used to cover medical expenses which can help to solve the problem of paying for an addiction rehabilitation center.

Some important points to be noted about Care Credit are as follows:

  • You can apply for the card over the phone or online.
  • You will have to provide details like name, date of birth, address, and Social Security Number.
  • You have two options while paying with a Care Credit card. 1) Zero-interest option for 6, 12, 18, or 24 months; 2) A low and fixed rate for a period of 24, 36, 48, or 60 months.
  • To qualify for the zero-interest option, you need to charge at least $200
  • For the second option, $1000 is the minimum charge for a period of up to 60 months. If you want the period to be 5 years, the charge amounts to $2500.

Finding financial aid for alcohol & drug rehabilitation

There are many substance abuse disorder centers that are funded by the government and other organizations to help eradicate substance abuse and to help people cope with addiction.

You can search for such centers online as they provide different financial support and options on how to pay for alcohol and drug addiction treatment.

One such grant is the SAMSHA grant which is a federal and non-competitive rehab program funding source.

Getting grants & scholarships for rehab: Second chance rehabilitation scholarships

Rehab scholarships and grants can act as a bridge between affordability and the sky-high cost of rehab treatment. This the most helpful and affordable option among different options to pay for the addiction.

But they are also the hardest to get. There are many second chance rehabilitation scholarships you can find online.

So just search online for them. Some of the addiction treatment hospitals typically will offer one to two beds a year for free.

Scholarships are offered by:

  • Individual institutions
  • For-Profit corporations
  • Non-profit & dedicated organizations
  • Treatment centers

There are also some grants and one such grant is the SAMSHA grant.

Crowdfunding for addiction treatment

Crowdfunding for a rehab treatment is another option to explore. You can use websites like GoFundMe. You can use this site and others similar to raise money for your detox, rehab, and after-treatment costs. 

How to pay for rehab: Borrowing from friends and family members

If you are determined to better your condition, help from your friends and family can also be an option in handling rehab costs.

Mostly you will not incur interest fees when borrowing from friends or family like you will from financial institutions. 

With family and friends, you can set up different ways to return any money borrowed.

If your loved one wants to help you but does not have the cash, they can also apply for a home equity loan.

All of these payment options will help you to be able to cover the different costs of rehab treatment and will solve your worries.

Call 866-579-8780 to get help now

Know how to pay for rehab for inpatient & outpatient substance abuse rehabilitation using public & private insurance, scholarships, healthcare credit care financing, crowdfunding, grants, medical loans, etc

We understand that addiction is a serious problem that needs to be tackled immediately. And one of the obstacles for some people is the cost and how to afford the treatment.

So call 866-579-8780 to be connected with a rehab counselor at a treatment facility to discuss your many options in getting treatment for your substance abuse problems.

Whether you are searching for rehabs near me or far away, speaking with an admission counselor to weigh your options including the payment options available is highly recommended.

Updated on May 21st, 2023