Cost of Drug and Alcohol Rehab

When someone becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, it is usually because they cannot handle the stressors that life gives to them on a daily basis. Drug and alcohol use is an unhealthy coping mechanism, because it can wreak havoc on a person’s short- and long-term physical health, cause the loss of partners and family relationships, as well as result in the loss of careers, causing financial pain and suffering. Some drug abusers end up homeless, living on the streets, while others land in jail. Illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco usage costs society upwards of $740 billion each year in healthcare, crime, and lost productivity. The cost is not only financial but includes the spread of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, overdose fatalities, increased mortality rates in babies and birth defects, as well as an increase in domestic abuse, divorce, and homelessness.

Committing to rehab and recovery is generally a decision made because the substance abuse has negatively affected a person and everything around them. Money is one of the biggest stressors without abuse, so those who decide to get help can quickly become overwhelmed when discovering the financial burden it may create. Drug and alcohol rehab centers want you to get better and want to help ease the repercussions on society that drug abuse can cause. Their main focus is their determination to get everyone who needs help into rehab.

What affects the cost of a drug and alcohol rehab center?

There are a variety of programs available, because there is a wide array of beliefs and personalities in the population. One person may be physically fit and believes in meditation while the next person lives in their car and just needs to get sober as soon as possible to even know what they believe in. The kind of care someone needs and wants varies in efficacy and cost. Centers can range from government-funded, non-profit programs to private ones with a price tag of tens of thousands of dollars each month. They cost can depend on a variety of factors, including:

• What kind of center is it?
  • Inpatient programs involve providing housing, meals, more intense medical care, and highly trained medical staff, which all affect the cost, making it typically higher than outpatient.
  • Non-profit centers, like Salvation Army, offer treatment as long as people work in the donation centers for their room and board. Teen challenge is also a non-profit program that offers therapy at a lower cost.
• How long is the program?
  • Long term drug rehab programs will cost more.
• What kinds of treatment are provided?
  • Does the user need medication-assisted detox, like when the effects of alcohol and heroin are expelled from the system, such as methadone treatment and suboxone treatment? Withdrawal from cocaine, for example, is not generally life-threatening.
• What amenities are provided?
  • If someone is used to a higher, luxurious standard in their life, it will cost more to uphold that. Having a spa with the options of massage or access to tennis courts, gourmet meals, and acupuncture will be additional.

What is the average cost of drug and alcohol treatment centers?

While there is no definitive answer to this question, averages can help someone decide on their course of action. The averages include information from the state-funded facilities that offer the basic programs, as well as those that provide luxury treatments.

• Detox costs
  • Outpatient detox ranges from $1,000 to $1,500 while most inpatient treatment programs include it in the price.
• Inpatient rehab costs
  • 30-day inpatient rehab programs average about $6,000, with prominent facilities having a price tag of up to $20,000 for those 30 days. 60 and 90-day programs could cost anywhere between $12,000 and $60,000.
• Outpatient rehab costs
  • 90 days of drug rehab treatment may cost about $5,000, while more renowned ones can cost $10,000. The cost is adjusted to how often and how long the visits are made.
• Medications used during treatment
  • Depending on the addition being treated, some people don’t require medication, but it can cost several thousand a year (e.g., methadone for one year can cost a previous opioid addict an average of $4,700.

How can I pay for a drug and alcohol treatment center?

One of the most stressful parts of choosing a drug and alcohol treatment center is its cost. The financial burden may seem overwhelming at first, but it is never too late and there is always hope. Instead of viewing it as taking on another promissory note that puts you into more financial distress, view it as an investment in your future. You won’t have a future if you don’t maintain sobriety. A user is actually saving the money that they were once spending on the drugs or alcohol. Society wants the best for its members and that includes helping those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol receive the most effective treatment possible. Some methods of payment available include:

• Health insurance
  • This is still one of the most popular ways to pay for treatment. Coverage depends on the insurer’s policy and the program. Types of insurance include:
    • Medicaid
    • Medicare
    • ACA (Affordable Care Act) or Obamacare, which is a state-funded health insurance for addiction recovery). It no longer penalizes a user as having a pre-existing condition.
    • Private insurance
    • Military insurance, such as may be used in VA centers.
• Grants
  • SAMSHA (substance abuse and mental health services administration) is a branch of the government that provides everything from substance abuse information to assistance funding a journey to recovery. 
• Sliding scale fees
  • Most centers offer payments according to income level and available funds.
• Payment plans
  • Monthly payment plans are offered by most programs. They can also be financed by third party institutions.
• Savings
  • Some people may tap into their IRA or 401k plans as well. A home’s equity can also be used. This action may seem extreme, but it’s an investment into your future, and there will be no future without commitment and work.
• Fundraising
  • Sites such as GoFundMe allow people in the community, friends, and family to help pay for rehab. People donating can also make payments directly to the facility so there is no question as to where their money is going.
  • Fundraising events can also grow funding — like spaghetti dinners, running and dancing marathons, or food drives allow people to purchase items with the idea that they doing so for a good cause.

People want to better their lives, and those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol may feel that it’s an impossible journey to undertake. It is never too late to choose for someone to choose to help themselves. It does not matter if you are convicted of a crime due to your actions when under the influence. It does not matter if you are lying in a hospital bed for the eight time this year and decide that you need help. It does not matter if you just lost your job and have no way to pay for rehab. There is always a way to get help. Deciding to ask for assistance is exceedingly difficult, and discovering the cost of attending a drug and alcohol rehab facility may seem daunting. Nonetheless, moving forward is an investment in your future, because there will be no future without it. Individuals who think that it could be too big a burden on their family don’t consider that their family just wants their partner, spouse, son, daughter, mom, or dad back in their lives and happy. It will also make them feel loved knowing that you found a drug and alcohol rehab center that will help you fight to stay alive and return to them.