Will Cigna Cover My Alcohol Rehab?

Even though almost 86% of grownups in America tried alcohol at least once during their lives, not all people who consume alcohol suffer from alcohol use disorder (AUD), but it shows just how prevalent the use of alcohol is in our society.¹

People who misuse alcohol have greater chances of suffering from serious and life threatening diseases and overdosing especially after prolonged or long term use.¹ According to available research, when harm to others is taken into account alcohol is more harmful than even heroin and crack cocaine.²

With your Cigna healthcare plan you will have alcohol rehab coverage that your doctor considers a medical necessity. Since the passing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, a set of 10 categories has been identified as essential health benefits that all Marketplace health plans must cover. Coverage for mental health issues, including various types of alcohol rehab, is included in that list.³

What Can I Expect From Cigna Insurance Coverage for Alcohol Treatment?

Cigna healthcare insurance plan will provide you with a certain amount of coverage for various types of alcohol rehab treatments depending on the type of insurance plan you have. The exact amount of coverage can also depend on the state your rehab is taking place since all states have individual laws that mandate behavioral health benefits.⁴

You should use your Cigna nationwide coverage to undergo a medical screening during which a doctor will be able to assess your situation and recommend what further steps you should take. If your doctor decides that your medical condition requires it, your Cigna healthcare coverage for alcohol use disorder will cover at least a portion of your:⁵

• Preventive care and medical screening services.
• Medical detoxification for severe alcoholism challenges.
• Inpatient and residential treatment at numerous In-Network rehab facilities.
• Proven outpatient treatment programs.
• Behavioral therapy if you suffer from alcohol misuse.
• Medically tested treatment for different co-occurring disorders.

What Cigna Coverage Won’t Include for Alcohol Rehab

Your Cigna mental health coverage will largely depend on the specific insurance plan you have but will typically includes all those services and procedures that form a standard part of addiction treatment.⁵ Keep in mind that time and dollar limits aren’t allowed for coverage of mental health treatment and pre-existing conditions can’t be used as an excuse to deny you coverage.⁴

Although all Marketplace plans must extend parity protections between mental health coverage and medical or surgical benefits, most health plans will include deductibles, copayments, and other out-of-pocket costs. ³

Still, there are services and procedures that your health plan won’t cover at all. There are exceptions for certain individual plans, but most Cigna healthcare plans usually won’t cover:⁶

• Services which are not medically necessary, including yoga classes or meditation.
• Custodial care services, such as assistance with bathing, dressing, and feeding.
• Personal comfort services and amenities like various TV packages, beauty services, and food deliveries.
• Various unproven treatments or alternative therapies, including holistic care and acupuncture.
• Different types of recreational programs and special dieting regimes.

What Will Be the Cost of Your Alcohol Rehab?

The cost of Cigna alcohol rehab will depend on many factors. The treatment plan for alcohol addiction will depend on how long the patient has been misusing alcohol and how much alcohol they routinely consumed. The longer and the more a person drinks, there is greater chance of developing severe addiction.⁷

Some people might suffer from other mental health challenges that caused them to seek refuge in drinking or they might have previously undergone some addiction treatment. Alcoholism can also be exacerbated by unstable living arrangements or problems at work. All these factors make alcohol use disorder a very personalized issue that differs from case to case.⁷

Because the individual needs of every patient are different, a whole range of proven rehabilitation approaches was developed over time for treatment of different types of alcoholism.⁷ Added to this is the fact that one treatment approach can also be modified in terms of intensity and the duration making it almost impossible to estimate the overall cost of treatment before a complete substance abuse medical assessment.⁸

How Much Will Inpatient Alcohol Rehab Cost?

Inpatient alcohol rehab is a treatment approach that involves staying in a substance abuse treatment facility giving patients all the best a rehab center has to offer. This approach is usually reserved for individuals that suffer from severe forms of alcohol addiction who would benefit from constant medical supervision of nurses and doctors.⁷

Cost of inpatient treatment will depend on the duration of treatment because every day spent in the rehab center increases the overall costs of treatment. Another important factor is the type of substance abuse treatment facility and the amenities it has to offer since patients have the option to choose the rehab center that suits their needs. Some of them offer a luxury and executive rehab programs that are more expensive.⁸

How Much Will Outpatient Alcohol Rehab Cost?

Outpatient treatment is the most popular rehab approach since it can be adapted to meet the needs of different types of patients.⁹ Outpatient alcohol rehab can include one-on-one and group counseling sessions once or twice a week for a couple of hours for those that need less intensive treatment approaches.⁹

It can also serve as a follow-up program and a component of a continuum of care treatment approach for individuals that have undergone inpatient alcohol rehab as a way for them to slowly readjust and gradually return back to their normal lives.⁹

In case of more severe patients who just can’t afford to leave their jobs for a prolonged stay inside a inpatient drug rehab center, there is the option of a more intensive outpatient programs (IOP) that incorporate daily visits of up to 30 hours of sessions per week if needed.⁹ It’s impossible to calculate the cost of outpatient rehab before you consult a doctor and choose an appropriate type of treatment.

How Much Will Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) for Alcohol Cost?

Partial hospitalization programs are designed to meet the needs of people that would benefit from more intensive treatment than intensive outpatient programs but who, for various reasons, can’t commit to staying in a rehab center¹⁰ In some cases individuals just can’t afford extended stays in the hospital or they might have a stable home situation and family support. Keep in mind that treatment doesn’t have to be voluntary to be successful.

Your Cigna Alcohol insurance coverage may cover a portion of your partial hospitalization program if your doctor certifies that you meet the criteria for inpatient treatment.¹⁰ If a doctor schedules daily appointments at the hospital that last for 6 hours or more hours per session, than this type of treatment is considered PHP rather than IOP.⁹ Cost of PHP may also depend on the type of rehab center and intensity or duration of the treatment.

How Much Will Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Alcohol Cost?

Medication-assisted treatment is a rehab approach that uses clinically tested medication for treatment of substance addiction issues. MAT combines medication with proven behavioral therapies and counseling to provide a “whole-patient” approach to mental health care.¹¹ It has been proven very effective in preventing relapse, sustaining recovery and maintaining sobriety.¹¹

Beside the duration of the treatment, the cost of MAT alcohol rehab will be influenced by the type of medication used. FDA approved 3 medications for treatment of alcohol addiction:¹²

• Disulfiram, which is taken daily and produces an uncomfortable physical reaction involving nausea, headache, vomiting, flushing, and heart palpitations. These types of reactions when alcohol is consumed serve as a deterrent to drinking.
• Naltrexone, which can be taken daily or monthly through extended release injections. It blocks receptors thereby eliminating the cravings for alcohol and the pleasant feeling people get when drinking.
• Acamprosate, which is taken 3 times a day and helps reduce symptoms of withdrawal and craving people have for alcohol. To achieve the best results patients should first go through a detox program.

How do Costs of Cigna Alcohol Rehab Compare to Costs of Alcohol Addiction?

Of almost 139 million people in the US who were classified as alcohol users in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2020, a staggering number of nearly 62 million were classified as binge drinkers, with 17.7 million people falling in the category of heavy drinkers.¹³

According to the CDC, excessive alcohol use has cost the US economy almost 250 billion dollars in 2010 alone and is known to kill more than 140,000 people each year. In addition to this, there are the costs which the whole society has to bear since alcohol destroys lives of families and communities nationwide.¹³

Excessive drinking, weather continuously over time or sporadically in a single session, will likely damage a person’s health. There is ample evidence that alcohol consumption damages your:¹⁵

• Brain, since alcohol disrupts the brain’s communication pathways affecting your ability to move and think clearly.
• Heart, causing irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and increasing the chances of stroke and heart attack.
• Liver, because it can lead to liver inflammation and multiple problems like fatty liver, cirrhosis, fibrosis, and alcoholic hepatitis.
• Immune system, which becomes compromised, decreasing your body’s ability to fight off diseases making you more susceptible to catching pneumonia or tuberculosis.

It has also been proven that alcohol is a carcinogen that causes a whole range of cancers such as:¹⁵

• Head and neck cancer,
• Esophageal cancer,
• Liver cancer,
• Breast cancer,
• Colorectal cancer.

When you add to these health issues the costs of maintaining an alcohol addiction and the costs of the loss of existing and potential future income, it becomes obvious that not only is alcohol rehab good for your health it is also a lot cheaper than alcoholism.

How Long Will Cigna Coverage of Alcohol Rehab Last?

Remission is achieved once a person is sober for a prolonged period of time (1 year or longer is needed for a stable remission) and becomes able to function once more in an everyday environment as a productive member of the community.¹⁶

But full recovery entails a complete change for the better in person’s behavior, which means that successful detox or remission alone aren’t enough to define complete recovery.¹⁶ For this reason it’s very important to stay in treatment as long as necessary because most alcohol addicts will need a minimum of 3 months in rehab and preferably more to achieve the best results.⁸

Every case of addiction is unique and requires a different rehab approach since there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for alcoholism.⁸ To address this, Cigna substance abuse providers offer many different types of insurance policies that are designed to target people’s specific needs. If you want to look into details of your specific health plan you can call the number on the back of your Cigna insurance card.

What to Keep in Mind When Deciding between Cigna Inpatient and Outpatient Alcohol Rehab?

Inpatient rehab takes place inside a rehab center where patients are provided with a structured care and spend 24 hours under supervision of medical professionals.⁸ Inpatient rehab centers offer beneficial environment and a treatment ecosystem that demands more accountability form patients enabling them to building new coping skills and avoid potential triggers.¹⁷

Inpatient rehab programs utilize support groups building a therapeutic community in which patients have an option to resocialize and become active participants in addiction treatment.¹⁷ It’s hard to compare different types of treatment since every individual has different needs, but there are certain studies that have demonstrated that inpatient rehab offers the highest quality of care.⁹

How to Use My Cigna Insurance for Alcohol Rehab?

If you suffer from alcohol addiction issues call a doctor to schedule a medical consultation. Only after completing a consultation with a doctor will you have enough information to be able to start with your Cigna treatment program.⁸

After looking into your condition, the doctor will be able to determine your ability to use health insurance and help you enter into treatment. He might recommend the desirable and suitable treatment program to tackle your specific condition.⁸

With Cigna insurance, you have the option of going into rehab in one of nationwide in-network rehab centers that are run by American Addiction Centers (AAC). You can contact AAC directly and talk with their trusting admissions navigators that will help you determine the extent of your Cigna insurance coverage and recommend one of their high quality rehab facilities.

What Alcohol Rehab Centers Accept Cigna Insurance?

Since Cigna partners with American Addiction Centers, you have the option of exploring AAC’s nationwide network of rehab centers and choose the one which suits your personal situation the most. AAC has rehab facilities in every part of the nation that offer proven rehab programs for treatment of alcohol use disorder.Once you contact AAC you can be sure you’re in the good hands of their admissions team that can verify your Cigna insurance coverage, discuss possible payment options and offer some treatment recommendations over the phone. You can also call a 24-hour confidential helpline that is dedicated to people that suffer from alcohol misuse issues. If you don’t feel like talking you can quickly just fill in an online form and get personalized text support.