Affordable Treatment Options in Alcohol Rehab
Affordable alcohol addiction treatment options exist, and they can provide the support and guidance you need to recover!
More oftentimes than not, not finding affordable treatment help becomes the number one reason why people don’t get the help they need. As with any form of medical care, the costs of alcohol rehab treatment can be expensive and continue to rise with each passing year.
Without adequate health insurance coverage, many people are left to deal with addiction on their own. Add to this the notion of taking time off from work to get needed treatment help and more than a few people may see no hope of finding affordable treatment help.
Fortunately, there are affordable treatment options available for those willing to find them. Affordable treatment exists through government-funded options, community health center services and a couple health insurance options.
Government-Funded Treatment Options
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the economic costs of alcohol and drug addiction run as high as $524 billion within any given year. Ongoing drug addiction costs result from lost work productivity, health care costs and legal system costs. For these reasons, government agencies have developed government-funded, affordable treatment options for those unable to pay on their own.
Affordable treatment options may take the form of:
- Government-run drug rehab facilities
- Voucher programs
- Clinical trials
The federal government in particular sponsors a voucher program known as Access to Recovery. Through this program, individual states can offer voucher-based funding to city and county community agencies. As an affordable treatment option, vouchers may cover the entire cost of services or a portion of treatment costs.
Community Health Centers
Community health centers offer a range of affordable treatment options depending on the amount of state funding received. The Health Resources and Services Administration provides funding to most all city, county and rural areas.
While some community health centers do offer free treatment options, most agencies follow a sliding-fee scale based on a person’s income earnings. Though each center may follow its own set of guidelines, more oftentimes than not, an agency will also accept Medicare and Medicaid payment options.
Many people entering alcohol or drug addiction treatment have reached a point where other medical and/or psychological problems have developed because of addiction. The affordable treatment options available through community health centers can be of benefit to those in need of additional treatment care.
Other services offered may include:
- Dental care
- Annual checkups
- Mental health care
- Prenatal care
Health Insurance Options
Health insurance coverage can go a long way towards making drug treatment more affordable. Many insurance plans automatically include coverage for mental health and drug rehab services. This is especially the case with employer-sponsored plans as alcohol and drug addiction problems can quickly cut into worker productivity and overall employer costs.
As of 2014, the Affordable Care Act requires insurance plans to include some form of drug rehab coverage regardless of the level of coverage a person has. This new piece of legislation has also made it possible for people previously denied coverage to obtain needed health coverages. Likewise, people previously considered ineligible for Medicaid coverage may well qualify under the new law.
