How Do You Pay Your Bills While You Are In Rehab?

Recovering from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, or seeking treatment for substance abuse disorders, often require professional help in a rehab center. Regardless of whether you plan to go to a short-term treatment center providing 90 days of in-house care, or a longer stay at a facility that offers an 18-month program, you are going to be worried about what you are leaving behind.

While some people use their bills and finances as a reason to avoid rehab, with proper planning and by using laws to your advantage, you can take care of your finances and come up with a way to pay your bills while you are in rehab.

How To Pay Bills While In Rehab

Your goal should be to pay the necessities or basic bills with funds that you have already saved or intend to save. You have several options regarding repayment of your debts while in rehab.

• Prepayment – Many creditors will accept your advance payments for terms just so long as one to 12 months in advance without asking anything. Some lenders might charge a fee for advancement payments, but this isn’t likely unless you are paying the entire debt off earlier than planned and there was a pre-payment penalty specified in your contract.
• Autopayments – Most banks have automatic bill pay as an option that you can set up through your account. This is set up using an online portal, so you can set future payments up and they will automatically draft from your account on the preset This is a great way to pay rent, mortgages, car payments, loan payments, and other debts. If you haven’t set up online bill pay, you might have to make a call to your bank to get the service activated.
• Family and friends – Even if you haven’t been on the best of terms with family and friends because of your substance abuse problems, they might be willing to help pay your bills while you are getting the help that you need in a rehab treatment center.

Usually, there is some way to manage your finances while you are in rehab. The issue might be having the funds to take care of the bills while you are in treatment and not working.

Managing Your Financial Situation While in Rehab

If you don’t have the funds to cover your bills and your basic living expenses while you are in rehab, there are some options available. Don’t give up on getting the care that you need. The first step is making sure you still have some income while you are getting treatment. Here are some options you might want to check before heading off to rehab.

• Unused Vacation Time – If you have any vacation time accrued, you can use that time, so you can take time off work and go to rehab without reducing your income for that timeframe. While using vacation time for rehab might not sound too enticing, it will help you get the peace of mind you need knowing your financial obligations will be handled while you are recovering.
• FMLA Leave – You can have up to 12 weeks of medical leave that is unpaid without the risk of losing your job thanks to FMLA. FMLA offers time for family medical emergencies or rehab. You cannot be fired from your job while you are in rehab. You will most likely have to disclose your medical issue when you apply for FMLA leave.
• Short-Term Disability – If you have short-term disability insurance that you have purchased or that your employer covers, you might qualify for financial assistance during rehab through your short-term disability program if your policy covers addiction recovery. Usually, this kind of insurance will cover anywhere from 40 to 60% of your regular monthly salary while you are getting the care you need.
• Short-Term Leniency – You might be able to call your creditors and ask them to give you some short-term leniency while you are treated for a medical problem. You might be able to get a debt consolidation loan, so all your debts are paid, and you are left with one payment that is much lower. Debt consolidation loans might have high interest rates, but they usually save you money on interest on the long-term basis.

With the proper planning, you can take care of your bills while you are getting the treatment you need in a rehab facility. Don’t let your finances stand in the way of getting the care that you need.