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How To Pay For Sober Living Recovery Home Stays - ECHO Foundation

How to Pay for Sober Living and Recovery Home Stays

When you come to the end of a rehabilitation program, your funds may be drained from not working, and your insurance company has likely payed for all of the treatment it’s going to pay for. Perhaps you can get your insurer to cover outpatient treatment, but any other resources you may need – such as sober living accommodations – will probably be out of pocket.

So, what are your options if returning home is untenable at this time and you need to stay a few more weeks in a drug- and alcohol-free environment? A recovery home is the ideal situation you’re looking for, but paying for it won’t be easy.

Unless you have a few thousand dollars lying around after completing rehab, here are some tips for helping you pay for a recovery home stay as you continue to become accustomed to sobriety:

Will Insurance Cover Sober Living? Try to Use Your Insurance Plan

Just because the chances aren’t great that your insurance plan will cover a recovery home stay doesn’t mean you should avoid looking into it. There are so many insurance companies and unique plans out there that it’s hard to say with 100 percent certainty that you will or will not be covered.

Perhaps you have a higher-end policy that might cover this kind of expense, or if you’ve had a doctor deem sober living as medically necessary, then there’s a higher chance your insurer may cover it. Another possibility is you’ve had the foresight to add on certain options to your insurance plan, which may now cover extended care and accommodations for drug addiction.

You can’t know for sure unless you call up your insurance company directly and ask them if sober living is specifically covered, or what you have to do to get it covered. If you employer provides your insurance, you may be able to get your answers through a human resources representative at your workplace.

The moral of the story is: Don’t rule it out until you’ve asked.

Explore the Recovery Home’s Payment Options

If you’re interested in a specific recovery home, contact them to explore their payment options. They may be able to find a solution that works with your budget. They may offer financing so that you don’t have to put down the money all at once. Perhaps they will also offer a grace period before you start having to pay the loan back.

Some recovery homes are able to offer scholarships and financial aid in order to offset some of your costs. At ECHO Recovery, we take monetary and household good donations in order to help clients afford their fees and to so we can keep our recovery homes stocked with everyday communal items.

The takeaway here is to communicate with your desired recovery home and explore their payment plans before ruling out sober living completely.

Work While You Reside at the Recovery Home

Many recovery homes require you to work at least a part-time job while you enjoy their accommodations, so this can factor in to how you pay for their fees. Although the job you find (or resume) likely won’t cover the entire cost of recovery home living, it will certainly help. It may also factor into the loan terms they offer you if you approach them about a payment plan.

Seek a Private Loan

By no means are you relegated to the recovery home when it comes to seeking a loan. You can approach a bank or another reputable lender in order to seek one of the following types of loans:

  • Personal
  • Medical
  • Hardship

In fact, you may want to do this and secure your terms and then approach a recovery home and ask about their payment plans. This way, you can choose the best terms possible for your budget, and you won’t regret not exploring more payment options.

Please note that while you can take out a loan for sober living and possibly qualify for a scholarship from the recovery home itself, there are no federal grants available for “drug-free supportive housing” at this time, according to the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

Look into Nonprofit Scholarships and Sponsorships

There may be nonprofit organizations either in your hometown or located near your desired recovery home that can offer you financial assistance for sober living. It’s doubtful they will be able or willing to cover the entire cost, but any aid they can offer will help.

The recovery facility you look into may bring up this option if you talk to them about payment plans; they may work with local nonprofits in order to help their clients afford the accommodations. Otherwise, do an independent search online for a charity or nonprofit that may offer financial aid for your sober living stay.

Other Potential Options to Pay for Sober Living

And, if all else fails, or if there’s a certain dollar amount that you’re having trouble covering, there a few last-ditch efforts you can try, such as:

  • Ask a friend, family member or close neighbor if they would be willing to lend you the money until you can pay them back.
  • Sell off personal property or assets that can help you cover the sober living costs.
  • Dip further into your checking account or into your personal saving account, if you haven’t done so already. Be sure to leave enough to live off when you return home.

We understand that you would have to set aside some pride and personal comfort in doing any one of these three things, but consider what’s at stake here: your life and your health. If you finish rehab before you’re really ready and then you relapse, most of the work you did and most of what you’ve spent will have been for not. We say “most” because sometimes you can get right back on track quickly.

Think of the long-term implications of not following through with your recovery, and also think of the success you could find if you maintain sobriety for years on end. Look at rehab and sober living as an investment into your future.

Recovery Housing on the East Coast

ECHO Recovery can help you with a stable place to stay as you pursue outpatient addiction treatment or if you simply want more time in a sober environment before returning home. Our recovery homes emphasize life skills and encourage employment in addition to any treatment you’re receiving and support groups in which you’re participating.

Through various generous donations, we’re able to offer financial aid to many of our clients, as well. Find out more about the services we can provide to support you or your loved one’s walk toward recovery by clicking below.

Explore Our Recovery Housing Services

What Will Insurance Cover for Addiction Treatment?

What Will Insurance Cover for Addiction Treatment?

Anyone struggling with an addiction is likely to have countless questions about detox, rehab – and how to pay for both. Thanks to the Federal Parity Law enacted in 2008, large employers with more than 50 employees who purchase group healthcare plans must secure coverage for employee mental health and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Additionally, a plan that offers such coverage cannot restrict it any more than coverage for other medical issues like surgeries and emergency care. “Parity” implies that coverage for mental health services and substance abuse treatment is equal to more “traditional” medical coverage.

While the Federal Parity Law ensures large employer coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment, smaller employers with fewer than 50 employees do not need to meet this requirement. However, many states have enacted their own parity laws concerning mental health and substance abuse coverage for employee insurance plans. Roughly 96% of American employers report that their insurance coverage applies to mental health and substance abuse. When an insurance plan falls under the jurisdiction of both federal and state-level parity laws, whichever one provides the greater benefits applies.

Depending on your health insurance coverage, your plan may cover all or part of your substance abuse rehabilitation. However, it’s vital to carefully review your policy to look for disclaimers or network restrictions. You may need to attend a rehabilitation center from a specified list provided by your insurance carrier or within a certain radius of your primary residence. Some insurance plans will require a referral before coverage applies, and some plans may not cover your type of addiction.

What Does Insurance Cover For Drug Rehab?

If you want to get the most out of your existing insurance coverage, you should first look at the differences in benefit allowance for in-network versus out-of-network care. For example, your plan may cover 100% of the cost of visiting an in-network provider, but only cover 60% of the cost of an out-of-network provider.

You should also investigate your deductible obligation to find out how much you’ll have to spend out of pocket before your insurance coverage takes over. Your plan may also include an out-of-pocket limit. Once you reach this limit, all of your remaining medical expenses for the year receive 100% coverage. Your insurer will also want proof of good faith that you are taking rehab seriously, so you should expect some type of monitoring during your recovery.

There’s no solid answer to what your insurance will cover for drug rehab. Coverage will vary based on insurance carrier, employer, location, state parity laws, and individual details. Some of the largest medical insurers in the country offer drug rehab coverage under certain conditions.

Aetna Drug And Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Aetna offers a variety of drug rehab coverage, and plan details vary by plan option as well as by state. Aetna plans offer coverage for inpatient and outpatient rehab services as well as behavioral health services, so it’s up to you to find a plan that works for you. Some Aetna plans will cover a portion of inpatient substance abuse treatment, outpatient rehabilitation services, and behavioral health counseling. The covered portion of the cost can sometimes exceed $9,000 per individual per the calendar year, depending on the plan. As a baseline, most Aetna plans will offer up to $1,500 toward detox and withdrawal treatment and another $2,500 per year for additional services.

Anthem Drug And Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Anthem is part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance network and upholds the belief that behavioral health is integral to overall health. Anthem plans can include 100% coverage or partial coverage for substance abuse treatment, psychological counseling, and behavioral health services. Policyholders will also have the option of purchasing partial coverage for lower premiums or participating in a health savings account. The exact details of Anthem’s coverage vary from plan to plan.

Assurant Drug and Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Assurant provides a wide variety of mental health and substance abuse coverage options in their insurance plans. Most Assurant plans will cover most inpatient and outpatient treatment services, typically requiring a $30 copay per calendar day. Some plans limit the number of service days you can have in one year while others have no limits. This is especially valuable for intensive treatment programs like inpatient substance abuse rehabilitation.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Drug And Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Blue Cross Blue Shield is one of the largest medical insurance carriers in the country, and the details of a Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plan will vary on an individual basis. Coverage options vary between states, so it’s vital for policyholders to understand the coverage they have in their state.

While there are limits to certain types of coverage, most Blue Cross Blue Shield plans include coverage for family counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, medication coverage, and psychotherapy. A distinct benefit to Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage is that there are no dollar limits you will need to meet throughout the year that affects your ability to receive treatment.

Cigna Drug And Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Cigna coverage can include outpatient rehabilitation services, intensive inpatient rehabilitation, and some residential treatments. Like all other insurance carriers, it’s important for policyholders to carefully review the terms of their coverage to confirm in-network and out-of-network rates, disclaimers, and restrictions for coverage. Cigna also has a unique Alcohol Specialty Care Management Team including licensed professionals with training in alcohol abuse disorders. This team helps connect policyholders to providers in their area.

Coventry Health Care Drug and Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Coventry is part of the Aetna insurance network and offers access to the First Health Network, one of the largest and most reputable Preferred Provider Organizations in the country. Coventry also offers Medicare Advantage plans that may cover both inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment services.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Drug And Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Harvard Pilgrim offers coverage through United Behavioral Health, a network of specialists and professionals including medical doctors, detox experts, psychologists, psychiatrists, and holistic therapy experts. Harvard Pilgrim also offers family counseling, marriage counseling, and even access to social workers and individual counselors.

Health Alliance Plan (HAP) Drug And Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Based in Michigan, the HAP is part of the Henry Ford Health System and assigns a unique service coordinator to every policyholder. HAP also covers emergency services and urgent care anywhere, even outside of Michigan, and detox and rehab programs throughout Michigan fall under HAP coverage as well.

Humana Drug And Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Humana is one of the largest insurance carriers in the country and offers both individual and group healthcare plans. Every plan is different, and there are several options for coverage for inpatient services, intensive outpatient services, and behavioral health counseling.

Medical Mutual Drug And Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Medical Mutual offers coverage for substance abuse, dependency, individualized therapies, and both inpatient and outpatient addiction care. This insurance carrier also sets itself apart by guaranteeing at least partial coverage for all the typical expenses associated with a rehabilitation program. A Medical Mutual plan may also cover alternative, faith-based, or holistic therapies.

Oxford Health Plans Drug And Alcohol Insurance Coverage

Oxford Health Plans operate under the umbrella of United Healthcare in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, but coverage often extends outside of these states as well. As a branch of United Healthcare, Oxford offers a wide variety of individual plan options for policyholders in many states, and plans can cover inpatient, outpatient, and mental health services.

United Healthcare Drug And Alcohol Insurance Coverage

United Healthcare offers nationwide coverage, so you won’t have to worry about traveling out of state for substance abuse treatment. United offers several plans that cover a wide range of treatment options for substance abuse and rehabilitation programs in every state. Coverage can extend from detox through inpatient and outpatient intensive care and behavioral health counseling.

Learn More At The Echo Foundation

The Echo Foundation is committed to providing the public with the latest news concerning addiction, substance abuse, advocacy, and treatment in the United States. Visit us to learn more about our work and the latest treatments available in addiction recovery.

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