When you decide to seek addiction treatment, you shouldn’t have to worry about how you’ll pay for it or whether it’s covered under your health insurance plan. On the same note, treatment shouldn’t be delayed while you try to navigate your insurance policy. Having said that, if you’ve landed on this page, there’s a good chance you or someone close to you is interested in beginning substance abuse treatment. This is a critical preliminary step to recovery, and we’re glad you’re here.
At Northbound Treatment, we’re well aware of how difficult it can be to understand a health insurance policy. But the good news is that our team of seasoned insurance specialists is equipped to help you figure out what your plan does and doesn’t cover in terms of addiction treatment. Here, we’ll discuss details about Blue Cross Blue Shield rehab coverage.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance for Drug and Alcohol Treatment
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) health insurance plans provide coverage to more than 100 million people in the United States. Individual policies offer a broad range of benefits covering drug and alcohol addiction treatment. The level of coverage and types of treatment services covered under your policy depend on where you live and the specifics of your plan.
In many instances, Blue Cross Blue Shield drug rehab and alcoholism coverage includes multiple options for treatment programs. Most likely, your BCBS alcohol rehab and substance abuse treatment coverage will cover at least some of the medical costs of residential addiction treatment, outpatient treatment, partial hospitalization, and continuing care programs.
Helping You Navigate Your Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Policy
Collectively, Blue Cross Blue Shield includes 36 separate health insurance companies across the U.S. For this reason, it’s nearly impossible to determine exactly what is covered under an individual plan without verifying coverage with a policy number. Northbound Treatment is here to answer all your questions about your Blue Cross Blue Shield Policy as it pertains to substance abuse treatment. We’ll confidentially check your information and provide you with all the information you need in a discreet manner.
Policy Coverage for Substance Abuse with BCBS
Blue Cross Blue Shield offers a variety of health insurance plans. The scope of coverage for substance abuse treatment depends on where you live and what type of policy you hold. BCBS has different levels of health insurance plans, including bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. Generally speaking, bronze plans have the lowest monthly premiums and the highest co-pays and deductibles (out-of-pocket costs), while platinum plans have the highest premiums, the most comprehensive coverage, and typically the lowest out-of-pocket costs. Blue Cross Blue Shield also offers an insurance program for federal employees, which consists of a basic plan and a standard plan.
How Policies Work For Treatment Centers
More than likely, your BCBS health insurance policy covers substance abuse treatment programs at a treatment facility, including both residential and outpatient centers. Just bear in mind that many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans require precertification (or “pre-admission”) for residential treatment services, meaning a doctor would assess your condition and recommend inpatient treatment at a facility.
Also, different BCBS plan levels and individual policies will vary in terms of how much treatment is covered. For instance, your policy benefits may include a certain number of days at a residential center and a certain number of outpatient treatment sessions. Northbound accepts all major insurance plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, and we’re more than happy to help you sort through the details of your health benefits.
Does It Need to Be In-Network?
In terms of what is covered under a policy, another determining factor is whether you have a PPO (preferred provider organization) plan or an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plan. Blue Cross Blue Shield offers both PPO and HMO health insurance plans. With PPO plans, you can see any in-network providers without a referral from your primary care physician. PPOs also allow policyholders to get care from out-of-network providers, but they usually cover less of the cost. With HMOs, your coverage is limited to contracted facilities within the network. With the BCBS federal employee program, the standard plan lets members choose from both in-network and non-PPO providers, but the basic plan is restricted to preferred providers.
You should be able to see which type of plan you have by logging into your health insurance account online or by calling BCBS directly. If you’re having trouble figuring out whether you have a PPO or an HMO Blue Cross Blue Shield plan or want to find out more about your benefits, contact us at Northbound Treatment.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield Coverage for Detoxification
For many individuals suffering from addiction or substance abuse disorder, medical detox is a crucial first step of the journey to recovery. Northbound Treatment strongly recommends that those who need to go through detoxification do so in a safe environment via inpatient rehab, under the clinical supervision of a treatment center.
Under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and expansions from the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies are required by law to not only cover substance abuse and mental health treatment but also to bill them as essential health care services. This means that you don’t have to meet your deductible before your coverage kicks in. However, insurance companies can still differentiate between which types of substance abuse treatment they cover. In other words, they aren’t required to cover detox. Those that do might require you to pay a deductible first. Some Blue Cross Blue Shield plans include detox as part of their residential treatment coverage. Northbound can help you determine whether detox is covered under your BCBS health insurance policy.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Covers Inpatient Insurance
There’s a good chance your Blue Cross Blue Shield rehabilitation coverage includes inpatient treatment, but you might be limited to in-network providers. Also, it’s important to verify what’s covered under your policy because BCBS benefits are based not only on the level of coverage offered in a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum plan but also on regulations that differ from state to state.
All four levels of Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plans should cover at least some of the costs of inpatient addiction treatment. However, with bronze, silver, and gold plans, policyholders generally must choose from in-network treatment centers. With a platinum plan, out-of-network residential addiction rehab might be covered, but it will likely be more expensive than an in-network treatment facility. Northbound Treatment is an in-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield drug rehab coverage, and we can help you find out if your benefits include inpatient services.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Coverage for Mental Health Treatment
Mental illness is a widespread public health problem affecting millions of Americans, and it’s particularly common among those with substance abuse issues. As we mentioned, insurance companies can’t discriminate on which types of health conditions they cover. Essentially, this means they are legally required to cover mental health services at the same level they cover other types of medical treatment. Also, they must qualify mental health treatment services as essential.
If your Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance policy includes coverage for substance abuse treatment, it will also include mental health services. Many clients at Northbound have co-occurring disorders, which is sometimes referred to as a dual diagnosis. This means they suffer from a mental health disorder in addition to alcohol or drug addiction. With our dual diagnosis treatment program, clients can receive support for managing their psychological issues and overcoming substance abuse simultaneously.
Helping You Understand Your Benefits
The team at Northbound understands that the language in health insurance policies isn’t always easy to decipher. When you reach out to Northbound Treatment for help understanding your insurance benefits, we’ll start by thoroughly reviewing your policy and verifying coverage at our treatment center. We’ll also confirm which types of substance abuse treatment your benefits cover and exactly how much Blue Cross Blue Shield will pay.
The Northbound Treatment Services Promise
If you’re ready to start drug addiction treatment but aren’t sure how to figure out what is or isn’t covered by your insurance provider, we are here to help. Having a grasp of your options for drug treatment is a vital part of your journey to sobriety, as well as your long-term health. Northbound is here for you during every phase of your recovery journey, including this present stage of finding the resources for addiction treatment services. In addition to verifying coverage at our Orange County rehab centers, we can tell you which facilities are available to you and will only recommend those of which exceed our own standards of care.
Start your journey today. Call Northbound Treatment at (844) 919-0403 for assistance with your Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance benefits, or fill out our insurance verification form online.
