If you or a loved one are seeking treatment for an addiction, you may be wondering: does insurance cover rehab?
Addiction, substance use disorder (SUD), and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are incredibly complex. Finding the right professional care to overcome the effects of addiction is crucial for those looking to begin their journey toward a healthier, sober life. However, the costs of rehab can seem daunting at first, and utilizing all financial resources available can be necessary. Whether one is looking to begin their journey to recovery from drugs or alcohol, utilizing insurance and other financial strategies can help each individual focus on their recovery and health more than the price tag attached.
The Importance of Using Insurance
While recovery may seem costly, the costs of inaction can be much greater. From finances directly spent on facilitating addiction to the lost productivity or employment as a result of one’s substance use, the cost of addiction is incredibly high. In addition, it carries many costs that cannot be easily quantified, like the costs to one’s familial relationships or personal hobbies and interests.
However, using insurance to finance one’s recovery comes with a number of benefits. First, it can help ease the immediate costs of necessary rehab, empowering those who may need professional treatment to seek out these essential services. From detox to residential and even ongoing outpatient care, insurance is instrumental in opening these doors.
Additionally, insurance can help alleviate some of the stresses of looking for effective treatment. If one is focused solely on the costs of rehab, it can be difficult to truly gauge the most effective strategies for each individual. Insurance can empower an individual to look at various rehab facilities and make their decision on where to begin their sober journey based on the amenities provided, professional care available, and more. This ensures that one’s time in rehab is genuinely effective and transformational, rather than making one’s decision only on a financial basis.
The Role of Insurance in Recovery
Addiction is federally classified as a disease and, with such classification, is covered by most insurance. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed in 2010, changed addiction’s classification from a pre-existing condition to a disease, and thus covered by insurance programs. This change has made dedicated addiction recovery treatment more accessible and popular, with many utilizing the program and its benefits to address the various ways that drugs and alcohol have impacted their life.
These insurance plans also cover a breadth of various services and aren’t limited to detox or inpatient treatment. Rather, one’s insurance plan could help to cover:
- Detox
- Residential treatment
- Outpatient treatment
- Home visits
- Prescribed medications
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Individual and family therapy sessions
Addiction is a complex disease, and it affects many different aspects of one’s life. Using one’s insurance plan, either from one’s employer or through the Health Insurance Marketplace, can help one address each of these factors involved in one’s addiction and recovery.
However, how much of one’s treatment will be covered under one’s insurance plan will vary from person to person. Contacting one’s insurance provider can help inform each individual of how much of their treatment will be covered. Buena Vista Recovery is also prepared to work alongside you and your insurance provider to help each individual understand and make the most of their insurance plans throughout their treatment.
Supplementing Your Finances
Insurance coverage is just one resource one can use to address their need for professional addiction treatment and recovery. Supplementing one’s insurance plan with other strategies and resources can make the process even more affordable, mitigating some of the financial stresses involved.
Taking time off of work can be difficult for many. Utilizing paid vacation days can help an individual pursue treatment without feeling as if they are stunting their own financial well-being. For some, taking this time off can still be intimidating, and a prolonged absence may feel as if they could lose their employment altogether.
However, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuing treatment for an addiction to drugs or alcohol is protected, and one cannot be fired for this absence. While this protection is essential for those pursuing active treatment for drug and alcohol recovery, it does not protect an individual if they are found using these substances in the workplace. Using the protections granted by the ADA requires that an individual actively pursue their treatment and maintain their sobriety in the workplace.
Lastly, as addiction costs are classified as medical expenses, they are also tax deductible. While this does not help cover direct costs associated with addiction recovery or one’s sober efforts, it does provide additional relief come tax season, and being able to write off these expenses is crucial. Any costs associated with one’s treatment, such as detox and residential care to transportation and outpatient or clinical services, call all be classified as medical expenses. Keeping track of this spending and working with tax professionals can help individuals and families make the most of these deductions.
Insurance is instrumental in helping to pay for the rehab one may need. At Buena Vista Recovery, we believe that finances should never stand in the way of the necessary change and support to challenge addiction, and we are prepared to help you navigate insurance policies and options to help you focus more on the transformative options and therapeutic approaches available, rather than the costs associated. We also are prepared to work with you and your family to create a comprehensive approach to healing, providing support to entire families throughout detox, residential, and outpatient treatment. For more information on how we can help you take your first step to overcome addiction, call to speak to us today at (480) 741-9414.
