Understanding the Cost of Drug Rehab
Many different situations can drive someone towards drug rehab. For example, your friends and family might hold an intervention to encourage you to attend. In other situations, you might receive a court order for admittance or decide to get help on your own.
Unfortunately, the cost of substance use disorder treatment services can hold people back from completing treatment or even going in the first place. Knowing how much drug rehab costs, what determines the prices, and how to pay for it can make a huge difference in your recovery journey.
How Much Drug Rehab Costs Varies
Given how many different factors are involved, the costs of drug rehab can range quite a bit. The multiple factors can include the kind of treatment you are looking for, how long you’ll be in treatment, the facility’s location, what they charge for similar services, and the program extras that go beyond the basics.
You might qualify for free or low-cost treatment programs through state and federal agencies such as the Veteran’s Administration. An outpatient program can run from $1,000 to $4,000, but a private residential rehab facility can easily land between $15,000 and $26,000 for just 30 days. Premium luxury programs that cater to high-profile clients, such as actors and pro athletes, might charge between $25,000 and $100,000 for a one-month stay.
Let’s take a closer look at the factors that impact drug rehabilitation program costs.
The Kind of Treatment Program
Drug rehab treatment programs can take one of two forms. Residential programs are also known as inpatient, and they cost the most. That is because you eat, sleep, and live on-site 24/7, meaning the facility needs staffing every hour of the day and night to help clients in treatment. Inpatient facilities must also have medical care available to their clients, requiring a doctor, nurse, or both to be either present or on call all the time.
Outpatient rehab programs are usually only available during normal business hours. Some rehab programs might require you to be physically present for a few hours each day, but others might only need several hours a week. The lesser time commitment is a big reason why outpatient treatment costs are so much lower. Another benefit of outpatient rehab is that you can still work and earn a living during treatment. A residential program requires you to use sick days, vacation time, and PTO or to arrange a leave of absence with your employer to attend the program.
Treatment Length
When you begin drug rehab, you’ll undergo a comprehensive evaluation. During this assessment, a counselor determines how long you need to remain in treatment to have the maximum odds of success. If you are in court-mandated rehab, your length of stay is predetermined. Otherwise, you have the power to decide whether or not to follow the counselor’s recommendation. Depending on your situation, you may only need a short detox and a quick period where you are monitored and medicated for withdrawal symptoms. Detox programs can range from three days up to two weeks.
Your insurance coverage might influence the counselor’s recommendation. Typical treatment periods are 28 days or three months, but the counselor might urge you to attend for even longer. Cases of heroin addiction might involve outpatient suboxone or methadone treatments that require a year or more. Shorter programs are likely to be cheaper than longer ones. For example, two weeks of detox won’t be as expensive as a month in inpatient rehab.
Facility Amenities
Some drug treatment centers will have features beyond just the basics. Luxury-level settings feature amenities you would expect to see at a premier spa or high-class resort. These treatment centers might offer gourmet meals, private nurses, and personal trainers, and you might find facilities with personal assistants, massage therapists, beauty technicians, hot tubs, and private workout rooms. They might even offer limousine transportation for those arriving or departing from the facility.
Family members may be welcome if you’re an upscale client, but your family might be a crucial source of support in any treatment center. A few even let clients bring their pets along, and they provide pet grooming and other care services. Of course, the more amenities a drug rehab facility offers, the higher the prices.
Facility Location
A facility’s location tremendously influences how much the treatment might cost. Facilities secluded on tops of mountains or looking over the ocean typically cost more than a similar establishment sitting inside a city. Also, luxury facilities designed from the start to be drug rehab centers will cost more than those housed in a former commercial facility or existing residence.
Mainstream Options
While there are luxury choices and high-end treatment centers, they’re not the norm. If you are searching online for the cost of drug rehab, you are probably either looking to save as much money as you can or to get the most bang for your buck. The overwhelming majority of drug treatment centers nationwide don’t have luxury amenities. Most give you the necessary basics, such as a room with a bed, television, bathroom, and storage for personal items. Some facilities let people share rooms to save money.
Low-Cost Rehab
If you are covered by health insurance, you can look for low-cost options that work with private insurance. You need to check your policy for coverage specifics and limitations. Your insurance might not cover all the costs involved with drug rehab. However, many cover detox, withdrawal treatment, and mental health counseling.
Even though parity laws are in place, many insurance policies set high qualifications for inpatient rehab. You might want to consider outpatient rehab to save money. If you discover that you require inpatient treatment not covered by your insurance, ask the facility about a payment plan for receiving their services.
Free Treatment
If you are uninsured and have few financial resources, you can still find drug rehab options. Check your local and state departments for health and social services. They often offer free or affordable drug rehab programs based on someone’s ability to pay or their income level. These programs may have waiting lists. Faith-based groups, nonprofit organizations, and charities might offer free drug rehab programs, and they can range from sober-living homes and detox services to support groups, group counseling, and individual counseling.
How You Can Pay for Drug Rehab
Unfortunately, there are many suffering from substance use disorder who want to get better but think they can’t afford drug rehab. In many cases, the mental burden of paying for treatment weighs on them just as hard as living with their afflictions.
Drug rehab and the costs involved can be a significant hurdle for anyone wanting treatment, but it doesn’t have to stop you from getting help. If you’re dealing with an active addiction, then you might need more accountability during the earliest stages of your recovery. That means going through inpatient rehab and higher expenses. However, your health insurance might be able to help.
Private Insurance
If you have private health insurance, there is a good chance you have coverage for substance abuse treatment at some of the country’s 14,000+ facilities. It might be partial coverage, but it could also be full coverage. Contact your insurer to find out the details, but also remember that many treatment centers can help you navigate insurance issues as part of their services. One particular detail to be mindful of is whether a specific drug rehab facility is considered in network by your insurance. In addition, see how many days of rehab are covered and what specific services your insurance will pay for once admitted to a facility.
The Affordable Health Care Act
Also known as Obamacare or the ACA, this legislation no longer penalizes insurance applicants for pre-existing conditions. That means you can apply for healthcare insurance even when you’re already dealing with a substance use disorder. Policies provided through Healthcare.gov have to treat addiction just as importantly as other medical conditions. The level of coverage for rehab services varies based on the plan you choose.
Medicaid/Medicare
State- and federal-sponsored healthcare benefits are available for some groups, and they often include drug rehab coverage. Medicaid eligibility is possible for those under age 19, over age 65, parents, pregnant women, and individuals within a certain income bracket. Medicare eligibility is typically restricted to those over 65 years or people who are disabled.
The Admission Process
After you decide which drug rehab center is right for you, it’s time to start the admission process. Every center has its own admissions procedures and protocols, and you can get a lot of information from them in advance. You can often start the process online or over the phone. When going through this, determine when specific payments are due and what payment methods they accept. Personal financial management is challenging for many individuals battling addiction, but having the money and resources to cover the costs of drug rehab is necessary for you to finish your treatment. If you have no other options, talk to your rehab center about financing opportunities, including scholarships, payment plans, and loans.
Find the Right Drug Rehab Center
Knowing you or someone you care about needs drug rehab is the first step, but choosing a facility and then paying for it are two more steps in the journey toward wellness. Fortunately, we provide a crisis hotline you can use to learn about addiction issues and how to get help for them. Our specialists at the National Rehab Hotline can discuss intervention, immediate support, and treatment alternatives. Learn about your options and the resources available by contacting us. We’re here 24/7, every day of the year, to guide you or someone you care about to a better future.