People who suffer from a substance use disorder require high-quality treatment to successfully manage addiction and achieve long-term recovery. However, some people are hesitant to enter rehab — leaving one’s home unattended or being away from family for so long is hard. 

Additionally, many worry about work — will it negatively impact their career if they seek treatment? Will their health insurance cover it? Is there confidentiality when insurance gets involved?

These questions are important to ask, and their answers are likely to offer you relief when it comes to determining the role health insurance plays in rehab. 

Does insurance cover rehab?

A substance use disorder is considered a mental health disorder for which many people seek professional treatment and care. Because of this, many insurance providers do cover addiction and mental health treatment. 

However, a number of factors can impact whether or not a treatment center will accept your insurance, including your policy’s particular benefits, the treatment center’s own policy regarding insurance and your needs in treatment. 

For this reason, it’s important to reach out to both your insurance provider and your prospective treatment facility to determine whether they accept insurance and how much treatment your insurance will cover. 

That being said, most insurance providers cover different kinds of treatment, including: 

• Detox
• Residential treatment
• Outpatient treatment 
• Dual-diagnosis and mental health treatment
• Aftercare, including post-treatment support groups and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) 

Speak to your insurance provider to learn more about what they’ll cover so you can begin the road to recovery today. 

Will it be confidential?

In the United States, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects people who seek out treatment at a rehab or addiction treatment center, meaning that by law those battling addiction have a right to confidential addiction treatment. Even so, many remain hesitant to use insurance for addiction treatment out of fear that their privacy will somehow be compromised.

All patients, no matter their illness, should take time to understand HIPAA — it was designed to safeguard patient information to make sure that all could receive the proper treatment without fear of compromised privacy. Consequently, people seeking treatment should never be afraid to use insurance for addiction treatment or any other medical treatment.

Using insurance for addiction treatment 

Before entering rehab, it’s a good idea to discuss your coverage options with your insurer. Remember that HIPAA protects you, so your insurer cannot release your confidential health information to any other party without your consent. 

Moreover, you cannot be dropped from coverage if you seek coverage for addiction treatment. If your premiums are paid, you have a right to use insurance for rehab.

Will my job know I’m using insurance to cover rehab?

Most rehab programs last anywhere from 30-to-90 days, meaning a conflict with one’s work obligations is likely. In order to take off work for an extended period of time, a medical excuse is generally needed. 

Addiction treatment is a medical process. If you need to take a medical leave of absence for your addiction treatment, you should note that you are protected from discrimination by the Americans with Disabilities Act. You may also qualify for unpaid leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act. Additionally, some businesses offer employee assistance to help employees going through a personal crisis.

In short, you will need to let your employer know to a certain extent why you are requesting a leave of absence, but your healthcare provider can provide you with the documentation you need. Your insurer is not obligated to discuss your health with your employer and legally cannot provide them with your confidential information.

And remember that when it comes to seeking addiction treatment, nothing is more important than your mental and physical health. Try to not feel any guilt in seeking a medical leave of absence for the sake of treating addiction. It’s more important to get the proper care than compromise your well-being for the sake of work. 

Looking for more information? 

If you have more questions about how insurance coverage can help with addiction treatment, or what treatment your insurance will help with, contact Silvermist Recovery today. Our admissions counselors will let you know whether your insurance is accepted and what treatment programs would be right to meet your needs. 

To get started today, reach out to Silvermist Recovery to learn more.