Aetna Insurance for Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation in California

Aetna health insurance is a large insurance provider in the United States and provides individual, family, group, employer, and Medicaid plans in California. Aetna health insurance plans cover drug rehab in California; however, the coverage level depends on the member’s particular plan and the addiction treatment provider they choose. There are many drug rehab centers and services in California that accept Aetna health insurance. It is important for families to take advantage of their health insurance plans. One of the top reasons people do not get the drug rehab they need is cost, and health insurance helps alleviate some or all of the costs associated with drug rehab. Families searching for drug rehab in California should start with their Aetna health insurance provider.

Drug rehabilitation involves a process, and the first step is a drug detox to treat withdrawal symptoms and cravings. However, drug detox is not the only approach used to treat drug addiction. The next phase of drug rehabilitation involves attending a residential or outpatient drug rehab center with aftercare support. When searching for drug rehab in California, an addiction assessment helps, and this could be done through a state or private healthcare provider or a drug rehab referral agency. The purpose of an addiction assessment is to determine the extent and severity of addiction and find what drug rehab options are the best fit. Once the family has determined what drug rehab is needed, they should go back to their Aetna health insurance provider and find out what is covered by health insurance.

How Does Private Health Insurance Cover Drug Rehab in California?

Aetna health insurance coverage for drug rehab in California depends on different things. There are many drug rehab centers in California that accept Aetna health insurance. Moreover, there are different health insurance plans with different levels of coverage. Depending on the health insurance plans, it could cover drug rehab fully or partially. Some of the health insurance plans that Aetna offers include open-access plans, copay-only plans, and high-deductible plans. Open-access plans allow the family or individual to choose the doctor, and there is no referral needed, and they do not need a primary care physician. Copay-only plans ensure that the costs after paying the deductible are only copays with primary care physician visits and generic drugs covered before the person hits their deductible.

High deductible plans offer preventative care services before the deductible is met, and sometimes coverage is through a primary care physician before the deductible is met. Aetna health insurance offers many different local plans in California, and the first step is contacting the health insurance provider and the drug rehab center. What is paid to the drug rehab center by Aetna depends on the plan, but typically, there are some out-of-pocket expenses. Unfortunately, many families do not consider health insurance as an option to cover drug rehab. Yet, all health insurance providers include behavioral services as part of coverage for most health insurance plans.

What Type of Drug Rehab Does Health Insurance Cover in California?

Families that have Aetna health insurance can use their plans to access different drug rehab options in California. Typically, things like individual therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or group therapy are covered by health insurance. Drug detox may also be covered like standard or medically supervised drug detox programs. Outpatient or intensive outpatient services are also covered, and these are excellent drug rehab options for someone not able to commit to residential drug rehab. Partial hospitalization treatment could also be covered to help addicts through outpatient drug rehab. Most residential drug rehab centers are covered by health insurance, but the extent of coverage depends on the health insurance plan.  

Family Intervention for Drug Addiction in California

Families unable to get their drug-addicted loved ones into drug rehab go the route of a family intervention. Once a family has determined drug rehab in California is covered through Aetna health insurance, the next step is convincing their drug-addicted loved one they need help. Family intervention motivates the individual to seek help and is most successful when a professional interventionist is hired to help the family. It is challenging to help a loved one addicted to drugs. Family intervention is a focused approach, and with the help of a professional interventionist, the process is successful. Someone who is struggling with drug addiction is often in denial about their situation and unwilling to seek treatment. An addict may not recognize the negative effects of their addictive behavior. A family intervention presents the drug-addicted family member with the opportunity to make changes before things become worse.

Family intervention is a carefully planned process that is done with family and friends and the help of a professional interventionist. During a family intervention, family and friends come together to confront the addict about the consequence of addiction and ask them to accept treatment. A family intervention provides specific examples of destructive behavior caused by addiction and how it impacts the family and the addict. Moreover, a family intervention offers prearranged treatment plans with clear steps, goals, and guidelines. A professional interventionist helps the family spell out what each person will do if their loved one refuses to accept drug rehab.

Health Insurance for Drug Rehab and Drug Addiction Trends in California

California’s uninsured rate has fallen from 17% to 7.1%, and the number of uninsured Californians has dropped by 3.7 million, and 1.5 million California residents get their health insurance through Covered California. In California, approximately 442,000 people have employer-based health insurance through Aetna, and 0.7 million are self-insured through Aetna. Unfortunately, within California, 6% of Californians reported meeting the criteria for alcohol addiction and 3% for drug addiction.

Sources-

California Health Care Foundation. How Many in Your Area are Covered by the Affordable Care Act. September 24. 2020. https://www.chcf.org/publication/how-many-your-area-are-covered-affordable-care-act/

California Health Care Foundation. Health Insurance in California: A Recent History. December 17, 2018. https://www.chcf.org/publication/health-insurance-california-recent-history/

California Health Care Foundation. Substance Use in California: A Look at Addiction and Treatment. October 2018.