Our Rehab Guide – Everything You Need to Know About Alcohol & Drug Rehabilitation Centers
Are you nervous about checking into a rehab center? Are you researching them for a loved one? You probably have a lot of questions and doubts, and you want to be able to remain clear-headed about taking back control of your life. The best thing you can do when faced with doubt is to find answers to the questions that are giving you concerns.
This guide was created to give you the peace of mind you need to think about the next step, whether that’s treatment at a drug rehabilitation center or anything else. The guide is based on all of the most commonly asked questions that new and incoming patients ask us.
You’ll find answers to questions like: how do I cover the cost of rehab? How do I choose the right treatment center? What treatments are available? For each of these questions, we’ve also provided answers to some of the most common follow-up questions.
You can use the table of contents below to find the information you need the most.
Section 1: How do I cover the expense of rehab?
- How much does rehab cost?
- How much does residential treatment cost?
- Do I need insurance coverage for rehab?
- How do I verify my insurance coverage?
Section 2: What is drug addiction treatment?
- What is drug rehabilitation?
- What is medical detox?
- What is inpatient rehab?
- What is a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
- What is outpatient care?
- What is an intensive outpatient program (IOP)?
Section 3: How do I choose the right treatment center?
- What kinds of questions do I need to ask to find the right drug rehab facility for me?
- What are the most significant rehab facility options?
- How do I make an informed decision?
If you have any other questions beyond those covered in the guide, we would love to answer them for you. If you are trying to convince yourself that rehab is the right choice, you might also want to aid your research with rehab facts and rehab statistics.
Here’s a look at how you can cover the costs of staying at a rehab center.
Section 1: How do I cover the expense of rehab?
If you’re concerned about the cost of attending a drug addiction treatment center, you’re not alone. The fear of high costs will stop some people from seeking help at a rehab centre. However, you may not realize that there are many resources that are available to help make it affordable.
It’s worth it to find a way to cover the costs because long-term addiction can cost you far more. Learn more in our guide on rehab benefits.
Many patients cover the costs of their rehabilitation with a mix of the following different funding sources:
Private insurance: If you are enrolled in a health insurance program, the cost of your stay at a drug rehabilitation center may be covered by your policy. Contact your health insurance provider to ask them whether mental healthcare is covered or if it’s available through supplemental plans.
Medicare & Medicaid: Medicare and Medicaid are the two largest insurance programs in the United States. If you are enrolled in either of these programs, you may be able to have some or all of your costs covered. If you are not yet enrolled, you may be eligible. You can apply here.
Local and State programs: Many states operate programs that are designed to make it easier to get help. They provide funds to defray costs or operate free treatment resources. Rehab centers often treat patients who are referred by these programs. They often know a lot about them if you call for information.
Private funding and financing: Personal savings, personal loans, and selling property are all valid options that you can consider to cover the costs of rehabilitation. Private financing comes with the most financial risk, so make sure you explore all the other options first.
Learn more about costs in our FAQ where we answer: how much is a rehab center?
Other Questions about Rehab Costs
How much does rehab cost?
Rehabilitation for drug addiction is a complex treatment that may involve a combination of different doctors, therapists, strategies, and settings.
Understanding the cost of your rehab will require a full consultation. There are several different levels of care, each one requiring a different amount of time, medical intervention and physician attention.
You may be assigned one of these treatments:
- Detox
- Therapy
- Prescriptions
- Inpatient rehab
- Residential treatment
- Partial hospitalization
- Outpatient rehab
The cost of your rehab will be determined by the treatment that you receive. It is not recommended to attempt to estimate the costs on your own before a consultation. Your condition may be more serious than you realize.
How much does residential treatment cost?
The cost of residential treatment can be higher than many other alternatives. It may involve assessments, medications and therapeutic care with round-the-clock supervision for months. The cost is further set by the number of days the program lasts — 30, 60 and 90-day programs are the most common.
There may also be other costs as a result of custom accommodations. Because of all these factors, the most effective way to determine the cost of inpatient care is to complete a consultation.
Do I need insurance coverage for rehab?
Insurance coverage is not necessary for rehab, but it can be very helpful. If you currently have health coverage, you should contact them to learn more about your mental health coverage.
If you have health coverage but no mental health coverage, you may be able to expand your current policy if you call your provider. Adding mental health coverage may increase your monthly premiums, but it can save you far more during treatment.
You can apply for rehab without insurance coverage. There are many programs and financing options available if you aren’t covered.
How do I verify my insurance coverage?
Verifying your insurance is a simple process that will be done by an admissions counselor. All you need to do is bring your insurance card and be ready to answer a few questions about your provider and policy.
We want to help you if you have any further questions about the costs of rehab or treatments for drug abusers. You can schedule a complimentary phone consultation to learn more about costs, approved insurers and the programs available to help the uninsured.
Section 2: What is Drug Addiction Treatment?
Drug addiction treatment is a type of care that is designed to help addicted individuals control their compulsions to seek and use drugs. Depending on the severity of the addiction, treatment may take different forms and involve longer periods of time.
Drug rehab centers play one of the most important roles in addiction treatment. Have you ever wondered, what is drug treatment like in a facility? It’s very different than at-home processes. They provide the most intensive environment for recovery. Learn more about this role in our guide that answers: what is rehab?
Therapy is involved in most cases. This may include general counseling, group therapy or behavioral therapy. Counseling can be necessary to treat addiction, in addition to underlying problems that can lead to addiction.
Medications are also part of many drug addiction programs. They are used to ease symptoms of withdrawal, and may also be used to diminish cravings. They may also be used to stabilize mood, encourage eating or treat underlying depression or anxiety.
Different treatment drugs are used depending on the addiction. For example, methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone may be used to treat opioid addiction, while disulfiram, acamprosate, and naltrexone may be used to treat alcoholism.
The level of treatment you need will be decided after a physical assessment.
Other Questions about Treatments
What is drug rehabilitation?
Rehabilitation in a drug addiction treatment center is one of the most comprehensive treatments available. By removing you from your environment and contacts, rehab allows you to form new habits in a safe space. Learn more about rehab success rate, here.
It involves the following process:
- Admission: You must apply to enter a drug treatment program. Not all facilities are designed to properly treat all types of patients. Some are designed around the needs of young people, the elderly or long-term patients.
- Evaluation: After your initial application is accepted, you will be asked to complete a physical assessment. During this assessment, a physician will examine you and ask you a series of questions that will be used to determine your medical and drug history. Any conditions resulting from drug abuse will be noted so they can be treated.
- Detox: The detox stage begins as soon as you experience symptoms of withdrawal. Alcohol and drug withdrawal can be dangerous and even fatal. These cases require medical intervention and constant supervision. This stage can last from a matter of days to months.
- Inpatient therapy: After detox is complete, you will begin recommended inpatient treatment plans. Your plan may include a range of different treatments.
- Partial hospitalization: When inpatient treatments are successful, you are able to transition to this stage—where you only stay in-facility during the day and return to a stable environment at night.
- Outpatient rehab: Outpatient care is the final stage. You will need to attend appointments for counseling and group therapy. In less-severe cases, your rehabilitation may only include outpatient care. More often, it is the final stage of comprehensive rehabilitation.
What is medical detox?
Medical detox is a far safer alternative than attempting to detox on your own. During medical detox, you’ll be supervised through each stage of purging any drugs from your body and the development of new habits. This supervision is a significant part of why in-facility care is more effective at treating addiction.
What are the benefits of medical detox?
- You can receive relief from the symptoms depending on what and how severe they are. Uncomfortable symptoms such as cramps, loss of appetite, insomnia or fever can be treated as soon as they begin to appear.
- You are restrained from any drug-seeking behaviors until the most intense cravings subside. While you’re inside the facility, you won’t have access to drugs or to the outside world. This refuge can provide you with the time you need to examine how your habits and environment might contribute to addiction.
- You can more effectively manage medical emergencies that may result from withdrawal. Withdrawing from alcohol can be deadly without supervision. Withdrawal can cause heart rate and blood pressure instability that may require attention. Being under medical supervision means that you have emergency medical professionals at hand until you’re in the clear.
What is the process of medical detox?
The process of medical detox depends on the drug that was abused, how severe the addiction is, and how ready your body is to manage withdrawal symptoms. Make no mistake, this can be a hard process for anyone. As addiction statistics reveal, many people fail to get help.
In most cases, the step-by-step process works like this:
- Day 1: During the first day, you will be introduced to the facility and the team that is going to assist you. Depending on when you ceased using the drug, you may not experience withdrawal symptoms until the next step.
- Day 2-6: These are the days when withdrawal begins to set in. The most dangerous withdrawal symptoms appear in the first week for nearly all substances. During this step, your condition and comfort will be monitored carefully. You’ll be able to have symptoms treated and intense discomfort relieved.
- Day 7 onward: By day seven, many patients move to inpatient treatment and therapy. Detox is considered complete at this point, though there are long-term symptoms that still need to be managed. For months after detox, you may need help dealing with depression, anxiety, stress or irritability.
What is inpatient rehab?
Inpatient rehab refers to all the treatments you receive while you’re staying in a rehab nursing facility. It includes the detox, in addition to all the medications, therapy. counseling and other treatments that may be given to you until you leave the facility and begin undergoing outpatient care.
What is a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)?
A PHP is a highly-structured day program for rehabilitation. During the day, you have access to all the resources of an in-patient facility, including round-the-clock supervision. However, at night, you can return to your own bed at home to sleep.
These programs are as highly structured as inpatient care plans during the day. The patient will need to attend all scheduled events and take all required medications.
These programs are often intended to help inpatients transition to being outpatients. However, those with less-severe addictions and stable home environments may be able to spend most of their rehabilitation attending a PHP.
What is outpatient drug rehab?
Outpatient drug rehab concerns all treatments that are administered while the patient is not residing in the drug rehabilitation center. During outpatient care, the patient may still need to travel to the facility to attend certain appointments.
Outpatient care is often the last stage of care in comprehensive programs. However, outpatient care may be the only form of rehab in minor cases, or cases where the patient can’t take time off for a more intensive program.
What is an intensive outpatient program (IOP)?
Intensive outpatient programs are comprehensive treatment plans designed for those who cannot stay at a facility because of work or home obligations. The programs are also used to help inpatients handle the transition of moving back into the wider world.
While outpatient care involves many treatments, IOPs are focused on providing the patient with as much structure as possible outside of inpatient care. They are developed with goals and milestones that patients must adhere to in order to complete the program. Though the patient lives at home, they must still attend activities most days of the week until they have progressed through the program.
Section 3: How do I choose the Right Treatment Center?
It’s important that you choose the right treatment center to manage your addiction, and you shouldn’t wait. Addiction can quickly become a criminal matter, and you will not be able to get the same kinds of treatments if you are jailed.
Learn more in our guide: rehab vs. jail.
As long as you can make a decision, make one that’s about your peace of mind and will to get better. Your ability to complete treatment may depend on choosing a facility that can meet your personal needs. Before you make your decision, consider how all of the following might affect your stay:
- A pleasant climate for outdoor activities
- Access to modern treatments and technology
- High-quality, well-designed facilities
- Comprehensive rehab nursing services
- Personal attention (demonstrated by a high therapist-to-patient ratio)
- Customized treatment plans that allow you to stay the amount of time it takes to get better
You might not be able to get everything you like at one drug rehab facility, but you should make sure that you can get everything you need. If you are dealing with severe addiction, choose a facility that is equipped to handle that. If you need gentle therapeutic care, choose a facility that offers those services.
What are the steps to choosing a treatment center?
Finding the right drug rehabilitation center is a simple step-by-step process. However, the choices you make will have long-term consequences, so you should make them carefully.
- Map out the factors that matter most to you: Decide what type of care you need, and what features would make it easier to focus on your treatment. Take the next step with any drug rehabilitation facility that can meet all of your needs.
- Contact your chosen care facility: Reach out by phone or by scheduling an appointment for a face-to-face meeting. Contacting the facility directly will allow you to get the most up-to-date answers to your questions. Verify that all the programs you need are available, in case you’ve researched some outdated information.
- Take a tour of the facilities: You may be spending months in your drug rehabilitation center of choice. You need to make sure you will be comfortable with the facilities and location so you can heal. Take a tour of the facilities if it is offered. This will allow you to decide if the atmosphere is one that you can tolerate.
- Complete an Application: You may not be eligible for the program that you most prefer. Your final step is to complete an application, and be ready if you aren’t accepted. You may need to apply to explore several centers before you find the one that’s the best fit.
Other Questions about Treatment Centers
What kinds of questions do I need to ask to find the right drug rehab facility for me?
The following questions can help you get the right answers when you have your first consultation.
- Is your facility licensed and accredited?
- How do you handle detox?
- What is your philosophy of treatment?
- Do you focus on inpatient or outpatient
- What are my payment options?
These questions will help you understand what to expect from your time at the treatment center. Learn more questions you should ask in this guide on the 12 questions to ask when choosing a treatment center.
What are the most significant rehab facility options?
There are many different choices to make before you choose the right drug rehabilitation center. Some of the options that you can choose from will have significant consequences for your treatment.
Inpatient vs. outpatient care
Perhaps the most significant option in front of you is whether you will pursue inpatient care or outpatient care. Inpatient treatment plans are the most comprehensive and staying as a resident will offer you the chance to break free of bad habits and bad actors in your life.
However, for some outpatients, it doesn’t feel like a choice. If you have work obligations, family obligations or financial problems that are unavoidable, inpatient care may not be a good fit for you. Outpatient programs may give you some of the support you need without taking you out of your daily life.
If you have a choice, inpatient care is considered to be more effective. However, if inpatient care isn’t an option for you, an outpatient program is always a superior alternative to going untreated.
Short-term vs. long-term
Most treatment programs take place over a set amount of days, so you will need to make this choice early in your treatment journey. You should not make a firm decision about the length of your program until you’ve reached the step of getting a physical assessment.
Short programs are simply not effective in all cases. Severe addictions and long-term addictions may require longer programs. The extra time is used for rehab nursing and therapy to change harmful habits and compulsions. Even moderate addiction is more effectively treated in long programs.
You should choose the length of stay that is recommended to you after your physical assessment. The recommendation may be based on factors that you won’t know about until fresh medical tests reveal them.
Medicating vs. non-medicating
You may have the option (depending on your condition) of relieving withdrawal symptoms with medications or going through treatment medication-free.
What is drug addiction treatment without drugs? Not easy, but sometimes preferable. Avoiding new medications can be an effective strategy for some patients. However, not every patient has that option.
In some cases, medications are necessary because they prevent more serious medical conditions during the detox phase. Life-threatening medical events such as strokes may occur during detox if the withdrawal symptoms aren’t limited by medications.
Even in cases where it’s an option, it won’t necessarily be recommended. The side effects of withdrawal can be significant. Problems like insomnia can directly interfere with the rest of your treatment program.
One-on-one vs. group therapy
Most treatments for drug abusers include a combination of one-on-one counseling and group therapy. You may be able to prioritize either one in your treatment plan. You can do this by choosing a treatment plan that already aligns with your preferences, or by working with your rehab facility to get more of what you need.
In most inpatient programs, there is a mix of one-on-one counseling and group therapy. Both are considered to be an important part of recovery.
There may be some consequences to getting your preference. Treatment plans where you are given additional one-on-one attention tend to cost more. Group therapies are often a mandatory part of outpatient programs.
How do I make an informed decision?
Your decision to seek rehabilitation for drug addiction may be the most important decision of your life. You need to make sure that the decision is as informed as possible so that you give yourself the best chance at a healthy recovery.
- Ask your therapist/psychologist about whether they would refer patients to the program you’re considering.
- Talk to spiritual leaders in your community
- Ask former patients about their experiences
First-hand accounts of people who have gone through treatment centers are always going to offer the most realistic advice.
What Should I Do to Get Help at a Drug Addiction Treatment Center?
If you are struggling with addiction and need help now, contact the Beach House at (877) 926-0067. We would be happy to help you understand your options and how you can be accepted in our program.