If you or a loved one that needs rehab for substance abuse or addiction, you might be left wondering how you will cover the cost if it isn’t picked up by medical insurance or if there is a significant copay or deductible.
Don’t let the cost keep you from getting the care that you need. There are several options to help you when it comes to footing the bill for rehab or treatment programs.
Rehab scholarships help bridge the gap between the high cost for getting the care that you need and what you can comfortably afford.
According to Help.org, in 2015, 90% of those who needed substance abuse treatment did not get the help that they needed. Many of those instances might have been because of the inability to pay the cost of rehab.
Who Provides Scholarships for Rehab?
What's In This Article?
There are various rehab scholarships available to help those who need help with addiction or substance abuse. Most often, these scholarships are made available by the individual institutions on a case-by-case basis for those who need the treatment but otherwise wouldn’t be able to get the care that they need.
To find out about these scholarships, the patient must have direct contact with the facility and ask them if they have financial assistance available. This can be time-consuming as direct contact is needed, but it can really be worth the effort.
Sometimes facilities are managed by corporations. These corporations might be for-profit or non-profit organizations that run facilities either regionally or nationally.
They often have funds available to cover treatment costs at one of their locations for those who meet the specific qualifications. Once again, this will require a little effort by doing some research and making phone calls to inquire about what is available.
Non-profit foundations might also offer scholarships. One example is an organization called 10,000 Beds. During 2016, the organization provided $1 million in scholarships then in 2017, it offered $2.5 million in scholarships.
The organization can provide these scholarships by partnering with individual facilities that have openings for rehab that are not currently filled. In return, these facilities agree to donate “beds” or openings to 10,000 Beds. 10,000 Beds then places those individuals who need treatment in one of those facilities that is donating a “bed” for treatment and otherwise couldn’t afford it.
What is Covered by the Scholarships?
Both inpatient rehab and outpatient rehab facilities offer scholarships. Since inpatient facilities have the tendency to cost more, those seeking treatment there are much more likely to need scholarships. Since each facility sets its own guidelines and establishes its own scholarships, the facility sets the guidelines for which kinds of treatment are covered.
Usually, the scholarships will not cover any treatments considered luxury treatments or optional treatments, such as acupuncture or massage therapy.
Some scholarships, such as those offered by 10,000 Beds, cover the entire cost of rehab. Other scholarships might cover only a portion or a percentage of the cost. Obtaining a scholarship can be challenging, so there might be other payment assistance options available that are much less restrictive and easier to find and obtain.
If an individual doesn’t have medical insurance, he or she can start applying for help through a subsidized insurance program, such as Medicaid. If the patient doesn’t qualify for Medicaid, he or she might qualify for some other kind of subsidized plan. For example, there are income-based premiums available on the Healthcare Marketplace.
Facilities That Are Funded by Government Entities
Some facilities offer free treatment to patients because of state and federal funding. Some of these rehab facilities are run by local government or state government while others are run by a third-party organization. These facilities don’t charge the patient, but space is very limited. Some free facilities might not offer the same variety or the same quality of services that are found at private institutions.
Income-Based Treatment Programs
Income-based facilities are another option. This isn’t a scholarship, but it makes getting help much more affordable as your treatment plan cost is based on your income. You can do a search for facilities that offer payment assistance or fees on a sliding scale by using the filter on the Help.org site and clicking on the state where you would like to seek addiction or substance abuse treatment.
Why Consider A Rehab Scholarship?
There are several reasons you should consider a scholarship for rehab. Scholarships are ideal for the underinsured, those who have exhausted all their other payment options, those who cannot get other payment assistance, and those who need special kinds of treatment that are not covered by medical insurance.
