The costs of addiction treatment rank among the top barriers to recovery. The good news is that there are a number of ways to pay for the treatment you or your loved one needs. Best of all, most or all addiction treatment may be included in your insurance coverage. This is often the case for active and retired military service members and their family members with TRICARE.
TRICARE is a supplemental healthcare program for the United States Department of Defense (DOD). This coverage is available for individuals who’ve served or are currently serving in the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Commission Core, and Coast Guard.
TRICARE offers free or affordable access to a fairly comprehensive range of general dental and medical health services. However, recent changes made to the mental health benefits provided by TRICARE have led to the coverage of addiction treatment. This includes drug and alcohol rehab for many forms of substance use disorder including opioid addiction.
At Mississippi Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center, we’re proud to be a TRICARE Certified Partner and a TRICARE covered rehab facility.
Does TRICARE Cover Addiction Treatment?
Substance use disorder and alcohol use disorder are prevalent among retired and active service members. The stress and emotional fatigue of service, and the high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among service members make this community especially vulnerable to struggles with addiction. TRICARE plans are designed to cover the costs of multiple forms of addiction treatment including:
- Supported detox services
- Inpatient addiction treatment
- Outpatient addiction treatment
- Intensive outpatient programs (IOP)
- Partial hospitalization programs (PHP)
- Family therapy
and more. If you or your loved one is seeking addiction treatment and wants to use TRICARE coverage as the sole or primary form of payment, it’s important to know the limitations of your plan, and the types of treatment that it will and will not cover. Multiple factors determine which services are covered by a TRICARE insurance plan including:
- The program type
- Where you’re located
- The specific types of treatment you want or need
There are currently eight TRICARE healthcare programs available. These are:
- TRICARE Standard and Extra: No member enrollment necessary to receive service, but does require a fee
- TRICARE Prime: Only covers specific geographic regions or “prime” locations throughout the U.S.
- TRICARE Prime Remote: Only covers various remote areas of the U.S., and several overseas areas
- TRICARE Standard Overseas: Comprehensive coverage for policyholders living overseas
- TRICARE Retired Reserve: Premium coverage for retirees under 60 and their families
- TRICARE Life: Optional, supplemental coverage for Medicare Part A and B subscribers
- TRICARE Reserve Select: Premium coverage for reserve service members and family
- TRICARE Young Adult: Covers young adult children who aren’t qualified for other plans offer through TRICARE
In some instances, and with certain program types, it may be necessary to receive a referral from your doctor before TRICARE will cover treatment. There are also several forms of substance use disorder that TRICARE plans may not cover.
The best way to determine both your plan type and the provisions that it will make is by speaking with our admissions counselors. As a Certified Partner, we can help you learn which portion of your care will be paid for by your insurance, and which portion must be paid out-of-pocket.
Using TRICARE for Inpatient Rehab and Detox
When people meet specific conditions and requirements, TRICARE may cover some or all of their urgent or non-emergency inpatient addiction treatment. In most instances, this will include coverage for medically assisted detox, as well as some forms of medically assisted treatment.
TRICARE additionally provides coverage for psychiatric and medical emergencies resulting from or relating to addiction. Most policyholders will receive full or majority coverage of all detox and stabilization services.
When seeking admission at Mississippi Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center, our admissions coordinators will review your TRICARE plan. During your pre-intake phone interview, we’ll also collect information about your health, your history of substance abuse, and the types and amounts of substances you’ve been using. These and other details will help us determine the best programs and treatment types for your needs.
All patients benefit from monitored, in-house detox services, and most fare best when starting their recoveries with adequate time in our inpatient addiction treatment program. Detox typically lasts between just seven and 10 days, and our inpatient program can last between three weeks and three months.
TRICARE for Outpatient Rehab
Our outpatient services offer a more lenient and self-managed approach to drug and alcohol addiction treatment. With our outpatient program, you’ll spend a set number of hours on our campus each week, and can spend the remainder of your time at home with your family, or taking care of important personal or professional responsibilities. We often recommend this program for people who’ve been using only moderately addictive substances, and for fairly short periods of time.
Basic outpatient treatment is also a good choice for anyone who’s already completed inpatient services and needs additional support. Our intensive outpatient program and our partial hospitalization program take the same intensive approach of inpatient treatment, while allowing for higher levels of freedom and flexibility. As with inpatient care, TRICARE may cover some or all these treatments depending upon the individual’s plan type, location, age, and other factors.
Checking Your Coverage
It is not uncommon for health insurance companies to only cover a portion of a person’s full treatment costs. Our team can help you find the right combination of services and programs for your needs and budget. Getting effective, needs-specific solutions is always the most important concern.
This remains true even if your full treatment costs exceed the limitations of your insurance. Many of our clients cover their remaining fees using their debit or credit cards, or by making payment arrangements. Our team can help you arrive at a feasible payment plan for all costs not covered by your TRICARE policy, and can share details on any currently available scholarship opportunities.
Certain TRICARE plans require policyholders to only work with in-network providers and facilities. Other TRICARE plans will pay for treatments received outside of their network. However, the costs of using out-of-network providers can be as much as 15 percent higher. Best of all, we’re committed to helping all clients and prospective clients fully understand the provisions of their coverage, and all other available payment options.
If you’re an active duty military member or a retired service member and want help for your addiction, we’re here to provide it. Call us today to start the enrollment process.
