Can I Go To Rehab Without Insurance?

Substance use disorders (SUDs) develop in people from every background, from every walk of life, of every age and income bracket. And they are never harmless. In fact, SUDs, including addiction, are some of the top preventable causes of chronic illness, cancer, premature death, domestic violence, and criminal activity, and are responsible for more than 20% of deaths in the United States today, according to the Partnership to End Addiction. 

While SUDs are treatable, most people who have them never receive the treatment they need to recover. This means that many people struggle for years to manage or quit their drug or alcohol use, not living life the way they want in the meantime. 

However, many people are even more worried about paying for rehab and the financial cost of recovery. Even with insurance, addiction treatment can be expensive, and without it, many people feel like they will never be able to afford proper care. Fortunately, resources are available to help, including low- and no-cost treatment options and forms of financial aid and support that can help you go to rehab without insurance if necessary and get the care you need. 

Going To Rehab Without Insurance

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in 2024 roughly 27.1 million Americans, or about 8.2% of the population, did not have health insurance for one reason or another. However, not having insurance puts you at risk for facing catastrophically high medical bills in the event of an emergency, as well as limiting your options for accessing important medical services like vaccinations, checkups, and SUD treatment. 

The government has established programs and other resources to help residents afford SUD treatment and other critical medical services, especially when it comes to those who do not have health insurance or who may have other serious financial needs. This includes both federal and state resources.

For example, in Ohio, these resources are managed by state-empowered, county-based Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health (ADAMH) boards, each of which contracts with local treatment providers to manage and fund reduced-cost treatment programs, while also offering helplines and other forms of assistance to their residents. 

In Michigan, different county groupings refer patients with financial needs to prepaid inpatient health plans (PIHPs), organizations that provide at-risk residents with counseling, crisis response, and pre-funded treatment for mental and behavioral health issues including SUD. 

In Indiana, the state’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) funds addiction treatment programs for residents with critical financial needs, including six state-sponsored psychiatric hospitals providing inpatient stabilization services, a treatment locator service, and other resources. 

Getting Health Insurance

You may be surprised to learn that you don’t need additional health insurance coverage to pay for SUD treatment services. In fact, with the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, also known as Obamacare, all Health Insurance Marketplace plans and Medicaid are required to cover SUD treatment and mental health treatment the same as other medical treatment. 

Expanding coverage and essential health benefits has helped countless Americans to better afford mental health and SUD treatment, especially after meeting their deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. And because these benefits kick in right away and preexisting conditions are covered, you can purchase health insurance and immediately use it to help cover the cost of your care.

If you don’t currently have health insurance, you can purchase it via the HealthCare.gov Marketplace during the open enrollment period, which runs from November 1 to January 15 yearly. You may also be able to apply for coverage under a special enrollment period following certain life events like losing health insurance coverage, having a baby, getting married or divorced, moving, or if your income is below a specific level. 

Lastly, you may also qualify for health insurance coverage under Medicare (which primarily covers Americans over the age of 65), Medicaid (which was expanded in all but 10 states to cover more individuals or families with low incomes), or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). 

Other Options For Financial Support

You also have the option of asking your treatment center and other organizations for help as you navigate the cost of your recovery. Some of the options that may be open to you, depending on your situation, include the following.

Donations And Grants

These are funds that have been set aside to help cover the cost of treatment for select individuals on a case-by-case basis or entire populations particularly affected by SUD. The money is either donated to the treatment center or provided through a government grant. Clients might receive this funding in the form of a scholarship or via reduced costs such as a sliding fee scale, or the funds might cover all treatment costs and thus the rehab center’s services are free to clients. With sliding fees, the cost of treatment is based on your income level. You may need to apply for this support, and there may be a variety of different qualifications that impact the selection process for each unique award. 

Financing Options

If you are unable to pay for the cost of your treatment all at once, your treatment center may be able to help you spread out the cost over a longer period of time with a payment plan. You may also be able to acquire a personal loan or medical loan as alternative financing opportunities. 

In some cases, people use crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe to ask for help with affording addiction treatment from supportive family and friends.

Ohio Recovery Center

No matter what other challenges you may be facing in life, paying for rehab is always possible. And the longer you live with an SUD and put off investing in treatment, the worse the effects on your physical and mental health will be. 

At Ohio Recovery Center, we can support you during this process, helping you to:

• navigate your drug or alcohol withdrawal symptoms through medical detoxification
• process trauma and other co-occurring mental health issues with trauma-informed care and dual diagnosis treatment
• develop new coping skills and healthy habits through individual and group therapy
• build meaningful connections with your peers for mutual support and validation
• manage long-term drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms via medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with medications like buprenorphine and naltrexone
• transition out of treatment and back into your daily life with local aftercare support

To learn more about ORC and our personalized residential addiction treatment and mental health services, please contact us today. We also offer fast and free health insurance verification.