Insurance Coverage For Drug Rehab; How to Get the Most Out Of Your Private Health Insurance.

Out of the estimated 27 million Americans dealing with a substance abuse problem, only about 10% each year will make any attempt at treatment to better the problem, and although the financial realities of care do explain some reluctance of many to initiate treatment, statistics indicate that a lack of insurance coverage is not a primary reason for avoiding treatment.

About 85% of Americans have private health overage, and virtually all private health coverage's include either complete or partial payment for drug or alcohol treatment needs. Drug addiction and alcoholism is recognized by the AMA as a disease, and if you have insurance, you are entitled to receive covered care.

Unfortunately, when you look at the numbers of substance abusing Americans who have private health insurance, the number falls slightly, and a full 30% of Americans in need of drug or alcohol treatment posses no private insurance coverage. Still not enough to explain appalling treatment initiation percentages, but an alarming number of addicts uninsured and unable to pay for needed drug and alcohol treatment.

If you are uninsured, even if you do not yet have any sort of serious health or addiction problem, you would be well advised to get covered as to never be in such an unfortunate position as those unlucky 30% with a need for care, and no way to fund it.

Hopefully if you do need treatment, you do have insurance coverage, and are in a great position to benefit from an excellent standard of drug or alcohol treatment care. To ensure that you get the most out of your insurance coverage for drug or alcohol rehab, you need to do three things.

Three ways to get the most out of your insurance coverage for drug or alcohol rehab

1) Call your insurance provider

This is a pretty basic first step, but you need to find out what type of coverage you can expect, the maximum allowable payment, and how fast payment can be arranged. Having a concrete idea of your coverage makes it a lot easier to narrow down the available drug or alcohol rehab options in your area.

2) Ask if the rehab accepts your insurance

Never assume that as you have insurance coverage for drug or alcohol rehab that this means you can attend any private treatment facility and enjoy covered care. Some rehabs do not accept insurance and some non accredited rehabs are not covered by insurance; you need to find out, and need to know that there will be no unpleasant financial surprises awaiting you at the end of your period of care.

3) Ask if the treatment facility will collect payment directly from your insurance carrier

If at all possible, you do not want to become the middle person between your insurance provider and your drug rehab. You have enough to worry about with getting better, and the stresses of insurance claims forms are not conducive to continuing sobriety. Try to find a rehab that accepts your insurance and will also arrange for payment directly from that insurance company. It's just one less thing for you to worry about.

Get help

Especially if you have private insurance coverage, there is no good reason to continue with abuse and addiction. These problems very rarely disappear without treatment, and the longer you leave things before getting help, the harder it will be to break free from abuse.

You get insurance for a reason. When you're sick, get help.