Millions of Americans struggle with substance abuse disorders and addiction each year. Unfortunately, even though more than 1 out of every 7 Americans has a substance abuse disorder, less than half reach out for help. When you decide to investigate your treatment options, you may wonder does insurance cover rehab?
Changes to medical insurance laws and the passage of the Affordable Care Act require insurance companies like Cigna to provide Cigna rehab insurance coverage. While each policy covers a different portion of treatment, medical insurance providers are mandated to cover mental health and substance abuse treatment in the same manner as medical treatment.
What is Addiction?
Addiction is a type of chronic and progressive mental health disorder that causes you to seek out and abuse drugs and alcohol compulsively. You can continue to abuse drugs and alcohol despite recognizing that it causes negative consequences, such as strained relationships or legal problems. Even if you want to quit using, addiction makes it difficult to do so because it causes significant changes to your brain chemistry.
Addiction causes changes to your brain’s pleasure and reward center. Your brain starts to associate drugs and alcohol with pleasure and rewards drug and alcohol use by releasing neurotransmitters. The rush of neurotransmitters exceeds the level your brain would normally release, which causes the pleasurable effects of intoxication. During addiction, you can experience intense cravings that are difficult to overcome whenever you encounter to triggers. Triggers can be people, places or things that remind you of your substance of choice.
Since drugs and alcohol are physically addictive, you can deal with troubling withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop using. Withdrawal symptoms can make it difficult to quit, as using will alleviate your symptoms.
Does Insurance Cover Rehab?
So, does insurance cover rehab? Insurance companies are have to cover substance abuse treatment, but the amount they cover differs depending on your policy. In order to understand how much of your treatment will be covered by your insurance company, it is best to call treatment centers directly.
Substance abuse and addiction treatment can include both inpatient and outpatient options, such as:
- Short-term inpatient programs that last up to 28 days
- Long-term residential programs
- Transitional living and sober housing options
- Partial hospitalization programs
- Medically supervised detox
- Intensive outpatient programs
Addiction treatment centers utilize evidence-based treatments, which are treatments that, after extensive research and studies, are proven to be effective. Evidence-based treatments can include things like cognitive and dialectic behavioral therapy and individual counseling.
Reaching Out for Help Today
When you are struggling with an addiction, you can oftentimes feel frustrated, isolated and alone. When you decide to reach out for help, you may wonder does insurance cover rehab. The good news is that insurance companies are required to cover mental health and substance abuse treatment in the same way they cover medical treatment. This makes affordability the least of your worries. If you are ready to start down the path of recovery, Pillars Recovery is here to help. Call us today at 866.782.0247 to find out more about our programs.
