Does private insurance cover rehab?
Private insurance means a plan from an employer or one you buy yourself, such as on the health insurance marketplace. Benefits vary by plan, but most cover some substance use treatment.
This is general information, not a guarantee of coverage. What your plan pays depends on your plan, your state, whether the program is in network, and whether your plan decides the care is medically necessary. Call the number on your card, then the program, before you start.
What it usually covers, by level of care
| Level of care | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Detox (medically managed withdrawal) | Usually covered when a clinician finds withdrawal needs medical monitoring. Many plans ask for prior authorization and review the stay after a few days. |
| Residential rehab | Often covered when outpatient care isn't safe or hasn't worked, but usually needs prior authorization and a review every few days. Plans often approve a shorter stay than a program recommends. |
| Partial hospitalization (PHP) | Commonly covered as a step down from residential or a step up from IOP. Expect prior authorization and regular reviews. |
| Intensive outpatient (IOP) | Commonly covered. Some plans ask for prior authorization, and some limit the weeks or hours a week. |
| Outpatient therapy and medication | Usually covered like other outpatient visits: a copay or coinsurance, and your deductible may apply. Medications for addiction are usually on the plan's drug list. |
How to check
- Ask whether the program is in network for substance use treatment under your exact plan. A carrier has many plans, each with its own network.
- Ask what prior authorization is needed, how many days are approved at first, and what you will pay a day after your deductible.
- Behavioral health is often run by a separate company named on your card. Call that number for benefits.
- Individual and small-group plans, on or off the marketplace, must cover mental health and substance use treatment (older "grandfathered" plans are the exception). Under the federal parity law, most plans that cover it can't make its copays, visit limits or prior authorization stricter than for other medical care.
Call a program and ask
Call the program and ask them to verify your benefits; it's free and takes a few minutes.
- Do you accept private insurance for substance use treatment, and for which levels of care?
- Are you in network for my exact plan, and is prior authorization needed?
- What would I pay a day or a week, and when is the next opening for an assessment?
Call the program yourself: Find Care doesn't take your insurance details, collect your name or pass anything to a program for you. This is general information, not a guarantee of coverage. What your plan pays depends on your plan, your state, whether the program is in network, and whether your plan decides the care is medically necessary. Call the number on your card, then the program, before you start.
Sources to check this against: HealthCare.gov: mental health and substance use coverage · CMS: the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act · U.S. Department of Labor: mental health and substance use disorder parity; and the behavioral health pages of your insurer. Written by Find Care as general information; not reviewed or endorsed by any of them.
Programs that list private insurance
- Texas 295
- Arizona 214
- Kentucky 175
- Tennessee 154
- Colorado 123
- Louisiana 114
- Missouri 87
- Kansas 85
- Arkansas 71
- Oklahoma 68
- New Mexico 66
- Alabama 65
- Mississippi 46
Counted by organization, only where at least 3 list it. Not every program that takes private insurance says so publicly.
Check my insurance Find your fit
If you are in crisis, call or text 988. For help finding treatment, SAMHSA's National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357.