Health insurance can be difficult to understand, even at the best of times. But trying to understand how it all works and how you can use it to your best benefit during a crisis…well it can feel near impossible. If you or a loved one suffers from a substance use disorder (SUD), addiction or co-occurring disorder and you are looking to find help and treatment, you probably feel extremely overwhelmed right now and maybe even a little hopeless.

But don’t give up hope! Even though insurance can be difficult to understand, rehab can be scary and addiction can be hard, you can still overcome all of these obstacles in your way and live a happy, healthy, drug and alcohol-free lifestyle. We just need to get you started in the right direction.

So, What are Some Alcohol and Drug Rehabs that Accept Cigna Insurance?

So, if you or a loved one struggles with addiction or an SUD and you have decided it’s time to get yourself checked into a rehab center, you’ve probably asked yourself  “what is the best insurance for rehab?” Well technically, that’s a trick question. There is no best insurance for rehab, only insurance policies and companies that work better with providing their clients with good drug and alcohol rehab coverage.

Insurance is a lot like drug and alcohol rehab facilities, they can look a lot alike, operate on the same basic principles, supply the same basic types of services, etc. but they can also look vastly different from each other. For instance, if you have an insurance policy with Cigna, you are more likely to find a drug and alcohol rehabs that accept your insurance policy than not. Drug rehab centers that accept insurance are plentiful, and there are many of them that will work with smaller insurers and policies as well. Yet, it is important to keep in mind that, even if you do have an insurance policy with Cigna and most rehabs accept this insurance company, your coverage may not work the same in every state or in every rehab facility.

Each state has a different set of governing laws that dictate the way insurance works in that area, and how drug and alcohol rehabs operate. Currently, Cigna health insurance operates in about 12 different states across the country. But there are other insurance companies that work in more states, as well as some others that work in less. Yet, even though some of these companies operate in more states, does not mean they all work in the same way. Some of the factors that might add in to change the way your health insurer provides you with coverage includes:

  • The services you wish to receive
  • And your personal health history
  • Your location
  • Your age
  • Your individual policy plan

Even though not every insurance company is created equal, even though the larger companies may not operate in every state, or in the same way in each state they do offer coverage in, insurers still operate on the same principles and foundation, typically offering their client’s a wide variety of choice from a number of different coverage plans, treatment options, facilities and conditions covered, thus resulting in an almost individualistic kind of coverage for each person.

Does Insurance Cover Rehab?

So, does insurance cover rehab? Typically, yes. But, the amount of coverage you receive and the services that are taken care of under your insurer can vary widely. Drug rehab centers that accept insurance can vary; each facility entitled to working with different insurers in different ways to provide clients with care. Many insurance companies offer at least partial coverage of drug and alcohol rehab, and its more traditional treatment therapies.

But not all drug rehabs that accept Cigna will be able to apply a client’s policy plan to the services they intend to use. Luckily, if you or a loved one has an insurance policy with Cigna, and you are looking to acquire treatment, the company has an extensive substance abuse treatment coverage plan, that typically only deals with providing clients with traditional therapy methods. If you are looking to try an alternative, complementary or holistic therapeutic method while in rehab, you may be subjected to covering the cost of that treatment method out of your pocket, unless you are amiable to submit a petition to the company and have the treatment option approved. Even so, the company may only cover half of the cost of treatment, and only after you have received prior authorization.

There are many insurance companies that operate similarly to Cigna. So, as long as you make sure you are in a state that uses Cigna coverage, that the rehab facility you are interested in accepts your policy plan and you are okay with receiving traditional treatments only, you should be well on your way to getting started in your addiction recovery program. But, if you are looking into rehab centers out-of-state, that are less well-known, or that specialize in alternative treatments and therapies, you’ll want to make sure to contact both your insurance company to talk about your personal policy–either by visiting your member portal online, or calling the number on the back of your insurance card–and the rehab center you are interested in, to be sure that they can work with you and your health coverage comfortably.

About Cigna Insurance and It’s Rehab Coverage

Yes, Cigna insurance does cover drug and alcohol treatment. And yes, there are many drug rehabs that accept Cigna insurance. There is no such thing as the “best insurance for rehab,” but some companies do work more diligently to help their client’s with coverage than others, depending on the policy plan they are enrolled with. Cigna is one such company that works hard to ensure its customers have access to the drug and alcohol recovery treatments they need.

Originally founded in 1792, Cigna insurance has done a lot of growing in its time. Today, the insurance company works to serve more than 180 million customers, with the goal to provide clients with affordable, predictable, and simple to understand insurance coverage for years to come. The company’s overall mission is to improve the health, wellbeing, and peace of mind, of all the individuals they partner with and serve.

How Insurance Companies and Coverage Works

So, the answer to “does insurance cover rehabs, and are there specific drug rehabs that accept Cigna insurance, and specific rehabs that may not,” are all, yes. This is all great information to know, but how do you know the way your insurance coverage really works?

Insurance and addiction treatment can both be complex, frustrating, and hard concepts and terms to understand. But that doesn’t mean insurance and addiction are impossible subjects to have a working knowledge on. Every insurance policy–including Cigna–has its own set of coverage plans, divided into individual user and family policies. Each of these policies can be broken down by the individual package plan. The general understanding of these policy plans summing up to demonstrate that the client that pays more up front in deductibles, the more coverage they have to cover the cost of treatments. But generally, it all comes back to depend on the individual’s policy plan, that they have chosen to enroll in. Some of the most well-known and highly utilized insurance policies include:

  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Plans: Where clients are limited to receiving care from only doctors who work with, or are contracted by the HMO itself. This type of coverage may require clients to live in specific serviceable areas in order to be eligible / receive coverage and are often integrated into a client’s care to focus on illness prevention and overall wellness.
  • Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) Plans: Where clients enroll in a specific managed care plan that only allows for treatment coverage when using the company’s personal network of providers, except in the case of emergency treatment.
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plans: Where clients pay less for treatment services when they stick to using their company’s in-network providers, but can also use out-of-network services without a referral, but at an additional cost.
  • Point of Service (POS) Plans: Where clients can pay less for services, as long as they use doctors and facilities that belong to the insurance company’s personal network of providers, but are not forced to always stay within the network if they truly need (although they will pay more for out-of-network services). In this plan, clients will need to receive referrals to see specialists and receive specific types of treatments.

Each of these different plans can be broken down even further. To understand, when you enroll in an insurance policy plan with a specific company, you have the opportunity to select the type of plan you want to pay into. Thus, the amount of coverage you would receive from such a plan, will depend on which plan you picked and how much you pay.

These plans are typically broken up into bronze, silver, gold and platinum settings. In bronze plans, you pay the lowest monthly premium, but get stuck with the highest costs when you need care. In platinum plans, you pay the highest monthly premium, but have the lowest costs when you need care–with silver and gold measuring on different sides of the scale in-between bronze and platinum.

Important Insurance Terms and Definitions You Should Know

Understanding the general concepts behind insurance coverage can help you navigate the healthcare world a little easier, for sure. But, even with this all of this knowledge on policies at your disposal, insurance terms and concepts can still be difficult to understand. So, here are a few important definitions of insurance terms, you should know to help make your life a little easier:

  • Deductibles: Are the amount a client owes / needs to pay for their health care services, before their insurance plan kicks in and begins to pay.
  • Copayments: Are the amount a client pays for their share of the cost of their medical services, item, or doctors visits.
  • Coinsurances: Are when the client’s share for the cost of their covered health care services and treatment are calculated by a percentage, normally around 20% of the total cost, for the allowed amount of the service.
  • Premiums: Are the amount a client pays for their health insurance plan on a monthly basis.
  • Networks: Are the doctors, hospitals, suppliers, and services that the client’s health insurance company has or does not have a contract with. In-network is for those that work with the insurer, out-of-network refers to those who work outside of the insurance company’s contracted community.

About Drug and Alcohol Rehab, Treatment, and Insurance Coverage

Every drug and alcohol rehab facility operates a little differently. Just like different insurance companies will offer slightly different health coverage plans, every rehab center will also offer slightly different services, treatment opportunities, or accept and work with different types of insurance companies / policies. Of course, all rehab centers generally share the same founding principles, offer the same types of traditional therapies, and will often work with clients who have coverage with either small or large insurance companies, like Cigna. There is no one best insurance for rehab, there are many different healthcare companies that can offer many different policies that can work for clients in different ways across the nation.

What will work best for you, may not work well for someone else. Each individual and their insurance coverage varies, based on the severity of their condition, where they are attending rehab, the policy they hold with their insurer and so on. Cigna may not be the greatest insurance company of all time, that all rehabs accept, but it is a good company that works hard to deliver their customers with the coverage they need.

Some drug and alcohol rehab facilities like St. John’s Recovery Place (SJRP), works diligently to become a part of many different insurance community networks. Others rehab facilities choose to focus on only a few providers. At the end of the day, it all depends on the individual rehab center and insurance company themselves, and whether or not they decide to work together. Drug and alcohol rehab is normally covered–at least in part–by many different insurance companies, even if not all of the treatment services in a rehab facility may always be covered. Addiction is a complex disease that often involves an extensive treatment program. Drug and alcohol treatment programs for addiction and substance use disorders often include:

  • Medical detox services
  • Inpatient / residential rehab services
  • Partial hospitalization program (PHP) suggestions
  • Outpatient rehab services
  • Intensive outpatient rehab services
  • Aftercare services
  • Support groups
  • Traditional therapies

And in some special rehab centers, the use of complementary, alternative, and holistic therapies may be added to a client’s treatment regimen. Many insurance companies will not cover the use of alternative and holistic therapeutic methods. So, if you or a loved one decides that you want to engage in such a holistic treatment option, you may be subjected to paying for the treatment out of your own pocket, if your insurer decides to not cover the therapeutic method for you.

Addiction is difficult, recovery rehab can be frustrating and uncomfortable at times, and insurance policies / coverage can be difficult to understand. If you or a loved one struggles with a substance use disorder or addiction, it is important that you seek out quality professional help. It is also important that you make sure your insurance company is on board with helping you to receive the treatment that you need. If you have an insurance policy with Cigna, you can visit your personal member portal online, or call the number on the back of your insurance card, to find out more information about your personal policy and its coverage.

When it comes time for you to finally enroll in a recovery program, make sure you take the opportunity to ask your insurance company about the drug and alcohol rehab centers they may already be connected with, along with the treatments they will cover in full or in part, and get into contact with the center you are interested in to see if they themselves have any further information they can offer you with. Don’t wait another day to start your addiction recovery journey. Your opportunity to heal is right around the corner.

References

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