Cost of Substance Abuse Treatment on the Rise
Recently, Forbes magazine reported on a new study on substance abuse from the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute. The study showed:
“…a 19.5 percent increase in hospital admissions for substance abuse treatment in 2011, which was the first year most employers began adhering to new rules finalized for the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law in 2008 by then President George W. Bush….The law is designed to make mental health services no different than other medical services so a patient in a PPO, for example, that would not need prior authorization to see a specialist for a bad back wouldn’t need such insurer permission to see the mental health provider near their home. Mental health coverage is not mandated by the law but it requires employers and insurers to make such benefits equal.”
At first glance this might seem like an encouraging statistic, and it certainly is. But the flipside of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act is the dramatically rising cost of substance abuse care. Carolina Herrera, director for research at the Health Care Cost Institute, said that the “out-of-pocket costs for consumers for mental health and substance abuse care is very high.” The article goes on to be more specific:
“For example, the average price paid by an employer and worker for a substance abuse admission in 2011 was $7,230 with the consumer’s share of out-of-pocket costs at $889, or 12 percent of the total cost. Meanwhile, the average price paid by an employer for a “medical/surgical” admission in 2011 was three times that, or $20,103 but the co-payment was more than $100 cheaper at $796, or just four percent of the share of out-of-pocket costs.”
When we wrote Ending Addiction for Good: The Ground-breaking, Holistic, Evidence-Based Way to Transform Your Life, these issues were not far from our minds. Boutique addiction treatment centers like ours are expensive, because we give clients access to the highest quality therapies available. With the book, we saw a way to share our treatment success and use the research on addiction to aid the entire addiction recovery field, because finances should never stand in the way of treatment.
When you recognize harmful patterns and seek treatment, you can increase your chances of leading a healthier life. Cliffside Malibu is here to support you in your search for an alcohol-free life. We believe you deserve to have a private, comfortable and luxurious environment as you navigate your journey to a sober life. Our center allows you to explore your mental health needs, creates a treatment plan that is unique to you and allows you to discover beneficial coping skills. To learn more about alcohol treatment at Cliffside Malibu, call (855) 403-5641.