How Do People Pay for Drug Rehab That Don’t Have Insurance?

For many years, one of the biggest barriers to successful addiction recovery was treatment cost. The cost of going to an inpatient rehab is often far too high for most people and their families to pay out-of-pocket.

In fact, even going to a basic outpatient program can be financially overwhelming. If you lack health insurance but want to attend drug rehab, you’re in luck. The Affordable Care Act of 2017 has made it infinitely easier for people with substance use disorder (SUD) to get the professional care they need. Before the Affordable Care Act, private pay health insurance companies could lawfully discriminate against applicants who had SUD as a known, pre-existing condition.

Now, however, drug addiction is classified as a chronic mental health issue. Not only are health insurance companies no longer able to penalize applicants for having SUD, but they’re also required to cover some or all of the related treatment costs. Thus, if you don’t have health insurance right now, you’re able to get it. There are also a number of low-cost health insurance plans that will give you affordable access to top-rated, all-inclusive rehab centers.

Different Ways to Pay for Addiction Treatment

Most rehab centers accept multiple forms of payment. In addition to partnering with various health insurance companies, these facilities also take:

  • Cash payments
  • Debit card payments
  • Credit card payments

There are even a number of facilities that are willing to make reasonable payment arrangements with clients or their families who are struggling to pay some or all of their uncovered treatment costs. With payment arrangements, uncovered treatment costs can be remitted in several, manageable increments before rehab actually starts. Even with top-tier health insurance plans, many clients find that they’re still responsible for multiple out-of-pocket fees including their:

  • Prescription fees
  • Plan deductibles
  • Co-payments

When shopping for health insurance for drug rehab, it’s generally best to choose plans with higher premiums and lower deductibles. A plan’s deductible is the amount of money that you’re required to pay out of your own pocket before your coverage will kick in. High-deductible health insurance plans that have lower premiums are best-suited to people who are young, in good general health, and free of chronic disorders such as SUD.

Paying a bit more for your coverage each month will ultimately lower the amount that you must spend out of your own pocket when going to rehab. People without health insurance and people with lots of out-of-pocket expenses after their plan contributions have been applied can also take advantage of scholarships. There are a number of charitable organizations that make modest contributions on behalf of financially disadvantaged individuals who need professional addiction treatment.

These scholarships are typically offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and they’re often needs-based as well. You can speak with admissions counselors at different rehab facilities to learn more about these opportunities or you can contact local charities directly. Given the importance of addiction treatment, many families take matters into their own hands to cover costs that aren’t covered by scholarships or health insurance. Online fundraising or crowdsourcing platforms are frequently used to raise funds for those who cannot find other ways to make ends meet. Shopping around for drug rehab centers with cost as a primary consideration can be helpful as well. Although inpatient addiction treatment is recognized as having the highest success rates, people can get access to the same services, resources, and therapies by attending intensive outpatient programs (IOPs).

There are also partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), basic outpatient programs (OPs), and many other structured treatment types. Programs that do not require participants to live on campus tend to be significantly cheaper than inpatient programs. If you’re currently employed, you may even find that your employer is willing to make a modest contribution towards your treatment costs. You can speak with your human resources department to find out which forms of support are currently offered. Lacking health insurance is never a good reason to forgo professional addiction treatment.

If your health insurance from an employer has lapsed due to job termination, non-payment, or any other reason, you can start shopping for private pay health insurance right now. Private pay health insurance companies are legally obligated to offer you coverage. They are also legally obligated to cover a portion of your treatment costs. For more information about paying for drug rehab or to find an affordable rehab center near you, call 833-820-2922. Our counselors are always standing by.