Public Assistance for Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient treatment might be the right solution if you are diagnosed with a new or mild substance use disorder, if you have already been through an inpatient treatment program, or if you do not have a high risk of relapse. However, you still need to figure out how you are going to offset the cost of such treatment.

Insurance Coverage for Outpatient Treatment

Today, tens of thousands of facilities offer outpatient treatment services in the United States. Most of these facilities will accept insurance payment. However, not every insurance policy will offer you the complete coverage that you may need to deal with the cost of care.

To this end, you should talk to the outpatient treatment center that you wish to enroll in to find out the extent to which your insurance company will cover your recovery services. Alternatively, you can contact your insurance carrier and ask them how much of your treatment they will pay for.

Public Assistance for Addiction Treatment

You might be scared of checking into an outpatient treatment because of the perceived cost of rehabilitation services. Even so, you should not be. This is because there are different options that you can use to help you offset the cost of your treatment. These options include but are not always limited to:

• Applying for SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) grants.
• Applying to the Department of Veterans Affairs, if you are a veteran
• Checking into a locally or state funded outpatient treatment program
• Medicaid
• Medicare
• Relying on the ACA (Affordable Care Act)

While struggling with addiction, the cost of outpatient treatment might discourage you from getting the help that you need. This is because some of these treatment programs might be cost-prohibitive - a high likelihood especially if you are deep in the throes of your substance abuse. As a result, you might decide to put off your recovery.

Even so, you need to know that there are many public assistance schemes that can offer you the financial support that you need to get started on the journey to sobriety. These options include state-funded rehab facilities, government grants, and more.

The Cost of Outpatient Treatment

There are many factors that will play a role in determining how much you can expect to pay when you check into an outpatient treatment program. These factors include:

• If you have received a dual diagnosis for addiction and a co-occurring mental health or medical disorder
• The additional services and amenities provided by the outpatient treatment program
• The duration of your treatment
• The location of the facility
• The type of outpatient treatment program you choose
• Whether you have checked into a private treatment center, or a publicly funded hospital program or clinic

Often, the cost of outpatient treatment will range from $0 to several hundred dollars. Unfortunately, you might not be able to afford to pay for such treatment. This is why you may want to consider getting public assistance.

Why Fund Treatment?

According to many research studies, every dollar that is invested in an inpatient or outpatient treatment program ends up saving the United States $7 in criminal justice and law enforcement costs, and $4 in medical and healthcare costs. On average, addiction treatment will cost about $1583. However, it is also associated with cost offsets of more than $11,000 - which amounts to a benefit to cost ratio of 7 to 1.

Due to these numbers, municipalities and states - as well as the United States as a whole - have been investing in addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs. This is why you might be able to get help paying for your outpatient treatment.

Some of the public assistance programs that can help with your outpatient treatment include but are not limited to:

a) Local and State Government Assistance

Pew Charitable Trusts reports that most of the country has been spending over a 3rd of the national budget on addiction treatment. The great majority of these costs are taken care of by local municipalities and state governments.

Today, you can get public assistance from your state of residence. It might be included in another behavioral health or municipal health departments. Often, these agencies implement the addiction treatment and prevention programs in the state. They also manage all the federal and state funds that are set aside for substance abuse help.

b) State-Funded Treatment Centers

Research shows that more than 1.7 million Americans above the age of 12 were enrolled in publicly funded inpatient and outpatient treatment centers across the United States in 2016 alone.

Through state and federal financing, many states now run such centers. To this end, you might be able to enroll in such a program especially if you meet the entry requirements for this type of assistance.

- Demonstrated poverty, or inability to pay for any other type of treatment (which could be based on no or low income as well as lack of insurance)

• Information regarding the level or degree of your addiction
• Proof of legal residence or citizenship in the country
• Proof of residence
• The entry requirements will often vary from one state to the next. However, they often include:
• Your medical history

However, some of these public facilities might not always offer the amenities and services you need. Even so, most of them are outpatient treatment centers - meaning that you have a high chance of getting a place in one.

Federal Government Assistance

You can also get help from the federal government. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in particular, can provide you with grants, services, and information to ensure that you enroll in the right outpatient treatment center.

The federal government also runs other public assistance programs that you can use to offset the cost of your treatment at an outpatient facility. These include but are not limited to the following:

• Affordable Care Act (or ACA) provisions
• Medicaid
• Medicare
• SAMHSA Grants
• Veterans Affairs (or VA) benefits

Often, you will find that you need to meet certain eligibility criteria before you can qualify for these federal public assistance programs. These criteria may be based on disability, family situation, age, income, and many other social indicators.

Getting Help

Overall, there are many public assistance schemes that you can take advantage off while you are looking for outpatient treatment services. As long as you meet the set eligibility criteria and entry requirements, these schemes can help you afford the addiction recovery service you require.

CITATIONS

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/Fact_Sheets/investing_in_treatment_5-23-12.pdf

https://www.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/medicare-learning-network-mln/mlnmattersarticles/downloads/se1604.pdf

https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/mental-health-substance-abuse-coverage/

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/downloads/cms-adult-substance-abuse-services-coverage.pdf

https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/res-vatreatmentprograms.asp

https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/2016_Treatment_Episode_Data_Set_Annual_Revised.pdf

https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/block-grants

https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/ti-17-007