Many people with a substance use disorder don’t bother to seek help because they believe professional addiction recovery treatments are too costly. And these beliefs are not exactly unfounded. Multiple studies show that such treatments can be thousands of dollars. One study, for example, published by the U.S. Department of Defense, noted that the cost of treating opioid addiction, which generally requires medication-assisted detox, was between $5,980 and $14,112 for a year-long program in 2016. The same study also noted that around 40 percent of individuals struggling with drugs or alcohol said they chose to forgo getting the help needed to break free of their addiction because they believed they could not afford to do so. Many also said they didn’t have health insurance, which only further served to put addiction recovery further out of reach, the study goes on to reveal.
Understanding the Factors That Can Dictate the Cost of Going to Rehab
Multiple things play a part in determining just how much an individual will have to spend when turning to a licensed rehab facility to overcome addiction. For example, it will cost significantly more to go to a private rehab facility versus a public one. Many other things can drive the cost of addiction recovery treatments either up or down, including the type of medication used as part of a medication-assisted detox to combat withdrawal symptoms can influence an individual’s total treatment cost. According to the same data compiled by the U.S. Department of Defense, opioid-related addiction recovery that included the use of the prescription drug buprenorphine was $5,980 in 2016. By comparison, in the same year, opioid-related addiction recovery that included the use of Naltrexone, a long-lasting opioid antagonist, was $14,112.
A Closer Look at Addiction Recovery Treatments and How Much They Cost
Having taken a look at the bigger picture relative to the cost of addiction recovery, let’s turn our attention to the steps that individuals must take to achieve sobriety and the cost associated with each of them:
Detox – The first step in beating nearly all substance abuse disorders entails going through a detox program, most of which will last about 30 days. In short, detox is the body’s way of ridding itself of drugs and alcohol naturally, but the act of doing so can usher in an onslaught of unpleasant symptoms. For this reason, many physicians and addiction experts will advise individuals to take part in a detox program. Current data shows that the average cost of these all-important programs is between $200 and $800 per day. Of course, the cost associated with going through a detox program to overcome a severe addiction to prescription and street-level opioids, not to mention other powerful drugs, is considerably higher.
Inpatient vs. outpatient care – Along with deciding between seeking treatment at a private versus public rehab facility, choosing whether to start an inpatient or outpatient addiction recovery program can also greatly influence an individual’s total cost of treatment. For reference, inpatient programs, also known as residential treatment, which encompasses round-the-clock monitoring by physicians, nurses, and addiction counselors, are the most expensive, ranging from $2,000 to $20,000 for a 30-day program. By comparison, an outpatient lasting just as long, and depending on the specific program selected, would be between $3,000 and $10,000. The types of outpatient programs available at most U.S.-based rehab facilities include the following:
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
What Options Are Available to Those Who Do Not Have the Financial Means to Go to Rehab?
All in all, numerous factors will determine the cost associated with breaking the cycle of addiction. And for many people, the cost of treatment is enough to deter them from getting the help they desperately need. But it needn’t be that way. There are many state-funded rehab facilities that individuals can turn to for help that charge on a sliding scale, which does a lot to boost the affordability factor.
Furthermore, many rehab facilities nationwide accept Medicaid and Medicare, which means individuals can get the help they need to break the cycle of addiction while keeping their out-of-pocket costs to a minimum. Finally, every state has a few rehab facilities that offer no-charge addiction recovery services, one of which is the Salvation Army, to those serious about breaking the cycle of addiction and getting their lives back on track. To learn more about any information detailed in this article or for help finding a low-cost rehab facility in your area, consider speaking with one of our associates today at 844-639-8371.