Will AmeriHealth Cover My Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation?

Rehabilitation is a good thing. The word itself means to restore someone’s life from imprisonment, illness and most importantly, addiction. The actual process is relatively hard, especially for the first two weeks. What’s even harder is the expense. In average, rehab will cost about $2,000 and that’s for mild cases.

Rehabilitation for severe cases can cost $12,000 up to a blistering $60,000. As of 2016, $60,000 is the average yearly American household income. This means rehab can take a big bite out of your pocket, so what now?

Thankfully, AmeriHealth has the solution. Due to the Affordable Care Act, healthcare insurance companies offer coverage for treatments. The coverage will depend on their plans, as some of the plans only cover detoxification treatment.

Great! How do I start?

Before anything else, speak to your doctor. Even better if you speak with an AmeriHealth accredited specialist. Once you get a specialist’s recommendations, you can then speak to AmeriHealth’s member support to determine the coverage. Depending on your treatment, they will find the best facilities to serve your medical needs.

Visit the best addiction treatment center in your area for more information.

What Kind of Treatments Are There?

Rehabilitation is not a one-size-fits-all program. Different people have different factors, thus having different treatments. These treatments have two types: Inpatient and Outpatient treatment.

Outpatient care is more suited for patients with mild cases. It commonly involves a patient going to an office or hospital for treatment, for a few hours in a day. The treatment involves either medical therapy or counseling, sometimes both. Outpatient care allows patients to go home at the end of the day.

Inpatient programs are for cases that require more control. Patients go to a rehab center and stay there for a certain amount of time. It also involves medication and counseling, often lasting months. Some rehab facilities offer luxury suites. These facilities have extra amenities like gourmet food and top of the line gym equipment. AmeriHealth may not cover the costs of luxury facilities, so check with their support.

General Coverage

AmeriHealth plans in general, cover the following treatments for both substance dependency and abuse programs.

Detoxification: 100% covered. You need pre-authorization from Amerihealth beforehand.

Inpatient Rehabilitation: 100% covered. You need pre-authorization from Amerihealth beforehand.

Outpatient Rehabilitation: and Treatment: Clinical visits are partially covered, with a $5 copay.

The following are what they don’t cover:

• Extra non-medical expenses during inpatient rehab: Examples are extra pillows, clothing and any other comfort supplies.
• Rehabilitative services made in an Acute Care Hospital
• Spiritual Therapy, or other treatments classified as “Alternative Medicine.”

For all services they cover, AmeriHealth will cover the entire duration. For treatments extending their assigned duration, you’ll need pre-authorization.

Healthcare is everyone’s right. With the recent advancement of medicine, more effective treatments are made. This means likely means health care will be more expensive, not just to cover the costs of materials, but for research as well. Some people think they don’t need health insurance, that saving money is better. The verdict isn’t clear, but it’s up to you.

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Dr. Vikram Tarugu MD

Dr. Vikram Tarugu, M.D, is the CEO of Detox of South Florida, Inc and medical professional focused on addiction. A veteran in the medical field with over 25 years of professional experience. He is a consultant for many South Florida Rehab centers. Patients travel from allover the US to seek his help with addiction and Hepatitis C treatment.