There is little denying that addiction treatment services can be a bit expensive. Of course, that’s also true of almost any kind of medical treatment a person might need. That’s why it’s so important for everyone to maintain the best healthcare insurance coverage they can afford.
If you are from out of state and looking for a rehab in Florida, you probably know you are going to incur travel costs. Assuming that’s the case, you probably will be looking towards your healthcare insurance provider for help with your treatment costs. Here’s what you may not know about insurance coverage for rehab.
Back in 2009, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. As part of that legislation, they directly addressed the need to cover addiction costs so an ordinary person could afford treatment.
In the Affordable Care Act, the language of the law is very clear. Healthcare insurance providers must cover addiction treatment costs in much the same way they would cover any other medical condition. Furthermore, insurance carriers are not permitted to exclude anyone under the guise of a preexisting condition. That’s a very important clause given the idea that someone with an addiction has likely been dealing with the problem for months or years. The law does not want those people excluded from insurance coverage.
There is one caveat to how the Affordable Care Act mandates coverage. Insurance companies do not have to cover all addiction treatment costs. Here’s a general list of what they do have to cover:
- Detox services
- Any prescription medication a client might need during treatment
- Basic residential treatment for up to 90 days
- Outpatient care
- Aftercare followup services
Here’s are three additional comments about the extent of coverage. First, basic residential treatment costs may or may not include holistic treatment options as well as any radical form of treatment. Second, the law does offer insurance carriers a little bit of leeway regarding the monetary extent of coverage. Finally, a lot of insurance companies will offer to cover 100% of outpatient treatment because it’s significantly cheaper than residential treatment.
Is a Rehab Center in Florida Covered by My Insurance if I Live Out of State?
This is a very good question. Before you worry about whether or not your insurance coverage applies to a rehab in Florida, you should consider something else. You need to find a rehab that accepts insurance as a viable form of payment. That shouldn’t be a big problem because most top rehabs in Florida do accept insurance.
As far as using your insurance to go out of state for addiction treatment, it’s going to depend on your coverage. If you have an HMO plan that requires you to get treatment from an “in-plan” rehab, you might have a problem going to Florida. The exception to this rule would be if your HMO allows you to go out of plan, knowing you would need to cover more of the costs.
If your insurance coverage is through a PPO, you probably have more leeway with your choices. You would have to cover the proper percentage of your care but would have the ability to get that care anywhere in the U.S.
If for any reason you can’t get your insurance company to cover treatment costs in Florida, you might still have other payment options. With the right Florida rehab, you might qualify for a “grant or scholarship” that would pay some if not all of your treatment costs.
If you feel Florida is the right treatment destination, there’s also a chance you can find a facility that offers inhouse financing. You would have to pay for your treatment but could do so over time.
Here’s the thing. You have to decide where you want to get treatment and whether or not you can afford to do what you want. No matter what, your primary focus should be on getting treatment and not worrying about where to get it. If you have good insurance coverage, you will likely have more choices.
We hope you will find the above information to be useful in your decision-making process. As a top Florida rehab, we will do all we can to give you the best treatment possible. We’ll even go the extra mile to see if we can help you make the financial numbers work. If you would like more information about our facility and addiction treatment services, we encourage you to give us a call at 833-846-5669.