Having health insurance can make paying for drug or alcohol detox and rehab services infinitely easier. If you’re currently searching for addiction treatment in Mississippi, you may be able to leverage your current health insurance plan to cover some or all of the related treatment costs. Substance use disorder (SUD) is recognized by both legislators and health insurers as a chronic mental health issue. As such, under the Affordable Care Act of 2017, private pay health insurance companies can no longer penalize consumers for having SUD as a pre-existing condition. They are also required to offer coverage for a range of essential SUD treatments.
Quitting alcohol or any highly addictive drug takes a considerable toll on the body, especially for long-term, heavy users and those who are prone to binging. After abstaining for just several hours, people are often plagued by a number of painful and potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms. If these aren’t monitored and mitigated early-on, they can lead to increasingly severe withdrawal symptoms that include:
- Visual and auditory hallucinations
- Seizures
- High blood pressure
- Delirium
Severe, unmanaged withdrawal symptoms can even result in respiratory failure, heart failure, and death. It’s not surprising then that medically assisted detox in Mississippi is a covered service for those who need it. However, once a person’s physical detox is complete, they can also suffer from post-acute withdrawal symptoms or PAWS. Although PAWS are largely psychological in nature, they can often be just as challenging and dangerous to face when the right medical and therapeutic interventions aren’t in place. Insomnia, anxiety, depression, lack of motivation, and more, are all infinitely easier to face when experiencing them in a Mississippi detox center that’s staffed by knowledgeable professionals.
Whether you currently have health insurance or plan on binding coverage specifically for the treatment of SUD, it’s important to know exactly what your plan will cover and how much you’ll have to pay for on your own. Although cost is often reported as being the greatest barrier to drug and alcohol addiction recovery, it doesn’t have to be.
Using Health Insurance for Mississippi Addiction Treatment
Each health insurance plan comes with its own range of covered services, acceptable providers and treatment facilities, and out-of-pocket costs. If you have private pay health insurance or affordable coverage that you’ve purchased through the Healthcare Marketplace, you should expect to pay your own:
- Plan deductible
- Co-payments
- Agreed upon prescription fees
Health insurance companies usually offer coverage at two or more tiers. At the lowest level, policyholders can enjoy low deductibles and low monthly premiums, but they’ll also have to pay more out-of-pocket when receiving treatment. These plans are generally best-suited to consumers who are relatively young and who remain in good overall health. If you’re willing to pay a bit more for second-tier coverage, you’ll have access to a greater range of covered healthcare services. The highest priced plans that health insurance companies offer provide a comprehensive range of covered services, lower prescription fees, and lower co-payments. Many health insurance companies market their plans as Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum, with Bronze or bottom-tier plans being the cheapest and Gold or Platinum plans being the most costly but providing the greatest range of benefits.
If you’re a resident of Mississippi, finding a detox and rehab center that will accept your health insurance plan should be fairly easy. However, if you’re a resident of another state and want to use your out-of-state coverage in Mississippi, you may need a little help. HMO or Health Maintenance Organization plans require policyholders to choose from a defined network of medical providers and healthcare facilities. PPO or Preferred Provider Organization plans allow policyholders to choose either in-network doctors and facilities or their preferred doctors and facilities. If you want out-of-state treatment, shopping for a PPO plan is a good choice.
Even with top-tier, comprehensive health insurance, you may find that medically assisted detox and rehab in Mississippi require a fair amount of out-of-pocket spending. The good news is that quality rehab centers always have multiple ways to pay. To cover any charges that aren’t paid for by your health insurance plan, you can:
- Use a debit or credit card
- Pay with cash
- Take advantage of partial scholarships from charitable organizations
- Crowdsource or engage in other fundraising activities
It may even be possible to establish a manageable payment plan. If you’re ready to start the recovery process and need help determining how you’ll pay for Mississippi detox and rehab services, we’re here to provide it. Call us at 855-334-6120 today. Our counselors are always standing by.