Molina Healthcare Coverage for Alcohol Addiction Treatment & Rehab Centers

Does MOLINA HEALTHCARE Insurance Cover Alcohol Rehab?

If you’re struggling with alcohol addiction, you may be considering attending alcohol rehab to overcome your substance use. Although attending alcohol rehab is a useful step in recovery, it can come at a cost. Fortunately, many health plans in the United States provide coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment, which can include rehab.¹

If you have a Molina Healthcare insurance plan, this may be the case for you. Molina Healthcare insurance plans may provide full or partial coverage for alcohol rehab.

What Does MOLINA HEALTHCARE Insurance Cover for Alcohol Treatment?

Molina Healthcare offers health care solutions to millions of people in America through the Medicaid, Medicare, and Marketplace markets.² All of these plans vary by design, including plan tiers and networks, which can affect your specific coverage details. To check whether your specific plan is accepted at 1 of the 14,500 substance use facilities across the country, you can call the number on the back of your insurance card.³

Regardless of how your specific plan is structured, it may fully or partially cover the costs of the following alcohol rehab treatments:

• Screenings, interventions. Mental health providers can use alcohol interventions and screenings to assess your behaviors and alcohol consumption to determine whether you have an alcohol addiction or use disorder.⁴
• Detox. If a medical provider suggests you undergo detoxification, you would typically go to a medical facility and go through the process of removing alcohol and other substances from your body. Detox is often done in a medically supervised setting to help mitigate any of the acute or life-threatening side effects of going through detox.^{5, para 2}
• Inpatient. If you’re enrolled in an inpatient alcohol rehab program, you would receive 24/7 medically supervised care throughout your treatment, as you are required to live at the facility for the duration of your care. Treatment could last from days to weeks or months.^{6, (How are behavioral therapies used to treat drug addiction?)}
• Outpatient. If you’re enrolled in an outpatient alcohol rehab program, you do not stay at a facility overnight. Rather, you attend your session or sessions 1 or 2 times a week, which could involve therapy or meetings.^{6, (How are behavioral therapies used to treat drug addiction?)}
• Behavioral therapies. At any point in your alcohol rehab journey, your provider may utilize behavioral therapies. This methodology is designed to encourage you as the patient to modify your attitudes, stop or refrain from using alcohol, and learn skills for coping with stressors that don’t involve using substances.⁷
• Treatment for co-occurring disorders. Mental illness and substance use disorder are interconnected, and someone who has both is said to have a co-occurring disorder.⁸ Because both are interconnected, tandem treatment of the conditions is often recommended.^{8 “What should I do?”}

What MOLINA HEALTHCARE Does Not Cover for Alcohol Treatment

Every Molina Healthcare plan is different, but plans may not cover a handful of alcohol treatments. Reasonings behind the refusal to cover certain types of alcohol treatment vary. Some treatments that may be excluded from coverage include:

• Non-medical amenities.
• Holistic care services.
• Recreation programs.
• Food delivery.
• Private treatment services.
• Alternative therapies.

What Is MOLINA HEALTHCARE Insurance?

Molina Healthcare is a Fortune 500 healthcare company that provides managed care services to members through locally owned and operated health plans.² About 4.6 million Americans are covered by a Molina Healthcare plan across the Medicaid, Medicare, and state-run Exchange Marketplace health plans.²

Here is more information about each of the plan types that Molina Healthcare provides:

• Molina Marketplace: Molina Healthcare is authorized to sell plans from the federal Health Insurance Marketplace (Exchange) in some of the same states where Molina also sells Medicaid plans.⁹
• Medicaid plans: Molina Healthcare is licensed to sell Medicaid plans in Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.⁹ Molina works with each state’s government to provide Medicaid-eligible individuals and their families with Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) plans.⁹
• Medicare plans: Molina Healthcare is also licensed to sell Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans to eligible individuals.⁹
• Integrated Medicaid/Medicare (Duals): Molina Healthcare is also able to provide access to Medicaid and Medicare plans to eligible enrollees and help them navigate carrying both types of coverage.⁹ Eligible individuals with access to Medicare and Medicaid plans, helping them navigate the complexities of such plans while providing them with access to quality care.⁹

The specific type of Molina healthcare plan that you have will affect your insurance coverage and health benefits when it comes to alcohol rehab. Be sure to call the number on the back of your insurance card to learn more about your plan.

How Much Does Alcohol Rehab Cost?

A primary concern of enrolling in an alcohol rehab program is the cost of treatment. How much your alcohol rehab costs will depend on a multitude of factors, including your Molina Healthcare mental health coverage details. Other influential factors include the rehab center you attend and the facility’s amenities (e.g., luxury treatment centers may cost more), the services you receive, and the intensity of those services.

If your Molina healthcare plan doesn’t fully or partially cover the costs of your alcohol rehab treatment program, you can ask the facility whether there are payment options available to you. Examples of potential payment options can include special financing opportunities or scholarship opportunities. Don’t hesitate to ask the rehab facility if they offer any payment options if your insurance doesn’t kick in to cover all the care costs.

Cost of Inpatient Alcohol Rehab

Inpatient alcohol rehab costs can significantly vary depending on your Molina healthcare plan and whether the rehab facility is within your plan’s network. Despite the variances, it should be noted that, due to the round-the-clock care associated with inpatient care, costs for inpatient rehab may be higher than outpatient alcohol rehab services.⁶ Ask the rehab facility directly whether they can provide an estimate or quote for your alcohol rehab to prepare for the costs you may owe.

Cost of Outpatient Alcohol Rehab

Outpatient alcohol rehab costs may differ depending on how many sessions you need, as well as the intensity of those sessions. Your Molina Healthcare plan may also restrict coverage to only in-network outpatient rehab providers. To check whether a provider is within your plan’s network, call the number on the back of your insurance card or ask the facility whether your insurance is accepted there.

Cost of Alcohol Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)

Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) can combine elements of both inpatient and outpatient rehab programs. How long your treatment lasts, where you receive treatment, and the types of treatment you receive while enrolled in a PHP can all affect your overall costs. Consider working with a Molina healthcare representative and/or the rehab center directly to get cost estimates for PHP treatment.

Cost of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

MAT, which is a treatment method where you’re prescribed medications to help curb or stop substance use and also required to undergo other rehab treatments (e.g., therapy), is a common method for opioid treatment but can also be used for alcohol addiction.¹⁰ Your Molina plan may cover the costs of medications at different tiers, so the type of medication prescribed can affect your costs of care, and so can the other services you may receive.

Alcohol Rehab vs. the Cost of Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction can have far-reaching negative effects. Globally, 3 million deaths are caused by the harmful use of alcohol.¹¹ What’s more, the harmful use of alcohol poses social and economic costs.

In a federal survey of state and federal prisoners, 31% of state prisoners and 25% of federal prisoners reported drinking alcohol at the time of the offense that led to their incarceration.¹² Incarceration can lead to significant socioeconomic consequences, including lost income and broken families.

Beyond the economic and social burden of alcohol addiction, continued drinking can lead to negative health outcomes. Alcohol was found to be a causal factor in more than 200 diseases and other injury-related conditions.¹¹ For example, of the 85,688 liver disease deaths in the United States in 2019, 43.1% involved alcohol.^{13 “Alcohol and the human body”}

Although the upfront costs of alcohol rehab may seem expensive, the long-term risks and costs of continued drinking outweigh these costs. As such, getting the care you need now is the wiser option than continuing to drink.

What Length of Alcohol Rehab Does MOLINA HEALTHCARE Cover?

The length of alcohol rehab you may need for your path to recovery is unique to you. Every person is different. Some people may not need to be in treatment for very long, while others need to remain in continued treatment to remain sober. That being said, research indicates that positive outcomes are contingent upon remaining in treatment for an adequate length of time.¹³ Most experts agree that treatment should last at least 3 months or 90 days to improve outcomes and stop or reduce a patient’s substance use.¹³

The length of time recommended to you for your treatment may vary, as will how long your Molina healthcare plan cover treatment. Work with your provider and insurance representative to determine how long your treatment may be covered under your specific plan.

Choosing Between MOLINA HEALTHCARE Inpatient vs. Outpatient Alcohol Rehab Centers

Deciding whether to attend an inpatient or outpatient alcohol rehab center is something that should be done with the advice of your doctor. Factors to discuss are the quality of care offered at the facility as well as the treatment ecosystem, level of support and environment, and amount of accountability required at each type of facility.

Due to the nature of round-the-clock treatment and living with other recovering individuals, inpatient facilities may provide a more focused and supportive environment. Discuss which may be right for you with your doctor.

How to Use MOLINA HEALTHCARE Insurance for Alcohol Rehab?

Using your Molina Healthcare plan may vary slightly based on the type of plan you have. Be sure to contact the number on the back of your insurance card to determine if there are any extra steps you must take (e.g., obtaining prior authorization). Though, you would start the process by consulting a doctor. The doctor may evaluate your alcohol use and then refer you to an alcohol rehab center.

From there, you will determine your ability to use your insurance at the facility, and if you are unable to do so, you may be able to find another facility that accepts your insurance. You can do this by calling the number on the back of your insurance card or working directly with the rehab center. Then, the center will help coordinate your care and billing with insurance.

How to Find Alcohol Rehabs That Accept MOLINA HEALTHCARE Insurance

If you’ve decided it’s time to find an alcohol rehab center that accepts Molina healthcare insurance, we’re here to help. American Addiction Centers (AAC) provides world-class addiction services and has renowned treatment centers across the country. AAC also works with a wide network of insurers, including Molina, which means that care at any of our facilities could be covered under your plan. To find out, enter your information in the form below or call our helpline now.

Even if your plan is not accepted at our facilities, we can help you check your benefits right while you’re on the phone. We can even help you find an in-network provider near you. We know that finding the right facility that works with your insurance can be daunting but know that you don’t have to do it below. Contact us today to get started.