One of the most frequently asked questions about drug and alcohol addiction treatment is how much it costs, especially detox. Drug or alcohol detoxification is the very first step a patient needs to take on the road to a healthier life.
Many people, and their families, are worried about the financial aspect and whether they’d be able to afford this treatment. Therefore, in this post, we’re going to discuss how much does rehab cost with a focus on drug detox, as well as alcohol detox, of course.
Does Insurance Cover Detox Costs?
Insurance coverage should be the first means of paying for drug and alcohol rehab, including medical detox programs, like the one Stonegate Center offers just west of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, for people who have it.
The introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 obliged health insurance providers to provide coverage for addiction treatment services. The health insurance plans must provide coverage for:
- Addiction treatment
- Inpatient behavioral health services
- Behavioral healthcare, including psychotherapy and counseling
The insurance coverage of your detox may vary depending on the state and health insurance you have. Some insurance companies cover all or just a portion of costs.
However, a national survey found that most addiction treatment programs fail to fully realize promises of ACA to improve access to and quality of addiction treatment. For that reason, it’s important to find addiction and medical detox centers that take insurance and provide high-quality treatment to their patients.
For individuals looking to attend Stonegate Center, please fill out our insurance verification form for a free quote and a list of your mental health / substance abuse benefits.
Regardless, he following types of insurance may cover addiction care, including detox at various treatment centers across the country:
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Military insurance (VA)
- Private insurance
- State-financed health insurance
When it comes to insurance coverage, it’s crucial to keep in mind that it can cover all or some costs. Paying for detox and rehab can be easier this way. However, insurance companies impose several criteria when determining the coverage they provide to each patient. The insurance provider works with the treatment facility and your doctor to determine the necessary treatment and decide when they will cover detox and for how long. Some plans cover detox only, but detox and rehab providers will perform thorough assessments of the needs of each patient. These assessments may help extend the insurance coverage, if necessary.
What If I Don’t Have Insurance?
The ACA made it easier for many people to get access to health insurance. That being said, many people in the United States still don’t have insurance. It’s normal to wonder whether you’d be able to afford the costs of drug or alcohol detox without a health insurance plan. What’s more, many people who need help with their addiction fail to get much-needed treatment because they think it’s impossible to afford.
Even if you (or your loved one) don’t have insurance, there are several ways to get help. Useful solutions include free and low-income centers. Additionally, many addiction treatment centers nowadays have several financing options available for patients without insurance.
Their financial consultants work closely with patients and their families to ensure they get much-needed support and care. While free rehabs (like free rehabs in Fort Worth or free rehabs in Dallas) may be appealing, since they’re free, financing solutions at addiction centers are a better option. Free rehabs usually have long waiting lists and limited funding, so their level of care may not be suitable for everyone.
How Much Does Detox Cost?
Pinpointing the exact cost of alcohol and drug detox is difficult to do, unfortunately. The price of the treatment depends on many factors and may vary from one facility to another. Some factors that dictate the cost of drug or alcohol detox include:
- Insurance coverage
- Type or severity of the addiction
- Type of treatment
- Location of the treatment facility
- Amenities offered
- Prior history of past recovery attempts
Generally speaking, outpatient detox and rehab are less expensive than inpatient treatments. The reason is simple – outpatient treatments do not require patients to live in the facility throughout the treatment. On the other hand, the costs of inpatient treatment cover the time spent in the facility. But keep in mind inpatient treatment provides more structure, especially for people with severe addiction and without a strong support system.
Additionally, some substances such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, and opioids may induce severe withdrawal symptoms during detox. Medically supervised detox in an inpatient setting may be more costly, but it’s also safer.
The costs of an outpatient drug detox may range from $300-$800 a day… [and up to] $1500 in total.
The costs of an outpatient drug detox may range from $300 to $800 a day, but costs can also run about $1,000 to $1,500 in total. The providers Stonegate Center partners with have programs that average around $500 a day and offer affordable payment plans.
Moreover, some outpatient detox and rehab programs may cost up to $10,000, while the intensive outpatient program ranges between $3,500 and $11,000. It all depends on the length of detox, whether medications are necessary and other factors.
Now you’re probably wondering how long is detox. It can be three, five, or seven days long, but it can be longer if necessary, depending on the patient and their symptoms.
Partial hospitalization programs may run between $7,000 and $20,000.
In other words, inpatient / medical detox itself can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000 for drug or alcohol detox, if not included in the price of the whole treatment, but costs can get bigger if emergency detox is needed.
However, the cost of inpatient detox is usually included in the price of the entire addiction treatment and ranges from $15,000 to $30,000 for self-pay 30-day programs.
Medical Detox and Costs
Medical detox is the first part of the rehabilitation process for recovery from addiction. The detox is followed by therapy sessions and medications for continued support.
Before we go on, it’s important to assess the difference between medical detox and medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Medical detox for drugs in Texas is a process that’s intended to create a fresh start by clearing the brain and the body of any substances. The detox process helps manage acute intoxication and deals with withdrawal symptoms. On the other hand, MAT programs use FDA-approved medications alongside therapy sessions to provide a “whole-person” approach for the treatment of substance abuse disorders.
Both inpatient and outpatient medical detox is available. In an inpatient setting, medical detox revolves around slowly weaning a patient off drugs or alcohol under medical supervision in a controlled environment. A patient is required to spend a specific period of time in the facility. On the flip side, outpatient detox involves attending therapy sessions during the day or evening, but the patient gets to return home.
For many people, the financial difference is the main deciding factor when looking for medical detox. The lower price of outpatient medical detox may seem more appealing to many people in need or their families.
While the exact price of medical detox varies from one facility to another, the fees are usually between $600 and $1000 per day for a minimum of a seven-day detox program. The total costs could range between $4000 and $7000. These costs could be reduced with an insurance plan.
Medical detox can cause various withdrawal symptoms, and various medications are used to mitigate them, similarly to the medication-assisted treatment programs. During this stage, medical professionals at the facility may prescribe antidepressants whose costs for a one-month supply can go from $70 to $595 or higher. Many antidepressants are covered by insurance, though, or they may come at a lower price.
In some situations, benzodiazepines are used to calm patients during detox and manage psychological symptoms of withdrawal, such as anxiety. The average cost for benzodiazepines for beneficiaries of Medicare in one year was $190. However, prices of these drugs vary and may be as low as $8 or as high as $2,515. Keep in mind that some drugs from this class, those on the stronger side, may cost more on top of the price the facility charges. It’s strongly recommended to consult the facility, addiction specialist, and the financial department regarding all the costs included in the detox and rehab program. That also includes medications and their prices.
Patients in rehab for opioids abuse usually receive methadone to limit the occurrence of serious withdrawal symptoms. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the average cost for one full year of methadone maintenance treatment is $4,700 per patient.
The costs of medical detox and medications used in this process are determined on an individual basis. There is no “one size fits all” rule here because it all comes down to a specific patient, their severity of the addiction, and other factors. That’s why consultations and assessments in facilities are scheduled with each patient and their families. Always look for medical detox centers that take insurance in order to make it easier to get access to your treatment.
Alcoholism Treatment Costs
Alcoholism is serious but manageable. Both residential and outpatient treatment options are available. Patients can have outpatient detox and treatment or inpatient alternatives, depending on the severity of their problem and other factors, including prior attempts to recover.
The alcohol detox cost and rehab aren’t the same in every facility. Most programs in the inpatient alcohol detox center last for a few weeks, and costs may range between $500 and $650 per day, but some treatment facilities are more or less expensive. Some intensive rehab centers can cost up to $12,000 a month. Admissions to the rehab centers may cost between $3000 and $4000 in addition to the monthly cost of the inpatient treatment, room, and other amenities.
Outpatient treatments tend to cost between $250 and $350 per day.
Change Your Perspective
The costs of alcohol or drug detox may seem big, which explains why people immediately start thinking they’ll end up in debt.
Changing perspective is crucial for successful completion of detox and achievement of full recovery.
Drug or alcohol detox, and rehab in general, is not an expense or debt; it’s an investment. You’re investing in yourself, good health and wellbeing. In fact, you (or your loved one) can save more money in the long run because they don’t spend it on alcohol or drugs.
Once you change your perspective, it’s easier to be more open to different financing options and start your detox at a residential addiction treatment center in Texas.
Conclusion
In this post, we covered the costs of detox, and, as you can see, costs vary. A great deal of costs depends on each patient and many other factors. Having insurance can make it easier to get complete or partial coverage and thereby simplify the process of affording detox and rehab. But if you don’t have insurance, there are financing options that can help you out.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4706741/
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/insurance/related/guide-to-rehab-without-insurance/
https://www.detox.net/cost-of-detox/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK43419/table/clindep.t1/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3781935/
