How to Financially Recover After Addiction

Both living with addiction and recovering from addiction can be extremely expensive. Most people who got addicted to a substance also suffer from a range of financial issues, such as missed payments, debt, and divorce. Furthermore, getting addiction treatment can also be expensive in its own right. At Bright Futures Boynton Beach, we do everything in our power to minimize the treatment cost but that still might not be enough. Since many of our patients wonder how to pay for their treatment and recover financially, we’ve decided to publish an article about doing exactly that. This article will explain exactly how costly addiction can be, how it can impact your finances, how to pay for addiction treatment, and how to financially recover after addiction.

Addiction is a very costly disease

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, addiction has a huge economical impact on the country. The numbers are actually quite staggering, as the economic cost of addiction reaches more than $700 billion every single year. To be fair, this number includes the cost of health care, related crime, productivity lost due to addiction, and a few other costs. Furthermore, addiction to tobacco is, by far, the costliest addiction of them all, with an overall cost of $300 billion. Alcohol is the second most costly addiction, with an overall cost of $249 billion. It is no wonder, then, that so many people wonder does insurance cover alcohol rehab. Addiction to illicit or prescription drugs combined reached less than $270 billion!

When you think about it, these numbers do make sense. An average person who has an addiction to alcohol (4 drinks a night or more), will spend more than $4,500 a year on alcohol, on their own! Being addicted to drugs increases the expenditure, as a single gram of cocaine averages at around $150, and a gram of heroin reaches $1,000! With these numbers, it is easy to see how being addicted to a substance can ruin your financial outlook. The best way to financially recover from addiction is to first understand how your disease influences your finances in the first place.

How does addiction impact your finances?

These days, most people live with financial commitments. Making your payments is difficult enough without adding addiction to the mix. Furthermore, most people who are addicted to a substance often place their chosen substance ahead of everything else. Over time, this can (and will) have a serious impact on their financial situation.

Here are some of the most important ways in which addiction can influence your finances:

• Losing a job
• Missing mortgage payments
• Missing car payments
• Missing rent payments

Furthermore, addiction on its own will siphon your finances over time. Even if you are current on all your payments and manage to keep your job, you will still need to pay for the addictive substance. This can lead to financial ruin sooner rather than later, and you may find that you don’t have enough money to visit an alcohol rehab Florida center when you finally realize that you need treatment. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how exactly addiction impacts your finances.

Addiction and job loss

Addiction inevitably leads to lower productivity at work. For some people, it may seem that their substance use enhances their career and their work productivity but that is always short-lived. What usually happens is that, over time, a person who has an addiction to any substance starts missing work, and their work performance decreases. Furthermore, it is not only your current job that might get affected, either. The word about addiction goes around quite fast in certain circles, and you might find yourself lacking employment opportunities in the future.

Luckily, attending addiction treatment will allow you to find work more easily in the future. Many people who have attended Florida prescription drugs addiction treatment have found new jobs and are living substance-free lives. However, addiction impacts far more than your career.

Addiction and mortgage payments

As you may be well aware, every single missed mortgage payment affects your credit score. Missing several payments in a row risks foreclosure. Therefore, it is always in your best interest to be current on your mortgage payments. While this may all sound logical, addiction can mess up your priorities. You may find that you simply don’t care about the mortgage anymore, all that is important is the next “high”. The issue is that, by doing this, your credit score will plummet. You may not think your credit score is important at the time, but the fact is that your credit score will be extremely important when you ask yourself how to financially recover after addiction.

Addiction and car payments

Missing car payments might not impact your credit score, but your lenders may repossess your car instead. Without a car, you might find it difficult to lead a normal life and may succumb to your addiction even further. Furthermore, losing your car may drive you even deeper into the throes of addiction, as you might skip numerous activities that you needed a car for. To make matters worse, even if your lenders repossess your car, you might still be required to make the payments.

Many people who are suffering from addiction think that they don’t need the car anymore and that forgoing payments will simply make it go away. The reality, unfortunately, is that you may end up paying huge interest for a car that you don’t even have anymore!

Addiction and rent payments

As far as the financial effects of addiction go, missing rent payments may be the most important consequence. At the start, you may only have to deal with late fees. As things progress, however, you will inevitably be saddled with an eviction process and lose your place of residence. This invites all sorts of trouble. An addicted person with nowhere to live does not have many options. In the worst case, you might end up doing something that you might heavily regret down the proverbial road. Questions such as does Amerihealth cover drug rehab might be the least of your concerns. The problem is, you might not even care at the time, as your addiction might be all that matters to you.

After some time, however, you may begin to realize that the addiction is ruining your life. At that point, seeking treatment is the natural next step. However, the treatment itself can be quite expensive and you might not have the money to pay for it. Luckily, there are several options at your disposal to financially recover after addiction.

How to pay for addiction treatment?

Depending on your needs and location, the cost of treatment for substance abuse can be as “low” as $3,000 and as high as $20,000. Needless to say, this can be a serious amount of money for most people. In fact, according to a 2013 national drug survey, the cost of treatment is one of the main reasons why people avoid seeking it. However, there are several ways in which you can pay for your treatment, including:

• Insurance
• Out-of-pocket money
• Grants and scholarships

Before you start calculating your budget, you will want to get in touch with a treatment center in your area and inquire about the treatment cost. For example, if you are seeking treatment in Boynton Beach, you can contact Bright Futures Treatment Center and we will be happy to provide you with any information you may require. We work with most major insurance providers and may be able to offer you a payment plan to ease your financial burden.

Using insurance to pay for your treatment

These days, most insurance companies cover at least some form of addiction rehab. Some may provide coverage for outpatient treatment, while others may cover all forms of treatment. Instead of asking does Cigna cover drug rehab, for example, you may want to get in touch with your insurance provider directly. That way, you will be able to learn all the specifics of your coverage and have a better idea of what your options are. Alternatively, you can talk to your treatment center and have their staff talk to the insurance company on your behalf.

Either way, you will want to at least get familiar with the following insurance terms:

Copayments

If your insurance provider asks for copayments, this means that you will be required to pay a small amount of money upfront, and you may need to pay that amount each time when you visit your treatment facility.

In-network facilities

This term refers to the treatment centers that are a part of the insurer’s network. To minimize your treatment cost, you will want to choose a treatment center that is within the network.

Medication expenses

If your addiction treatment requires medications, your insurance might be able to cover them. Some insurance providers require you to meet a certain deductible or might ask for copayments.

Deductible

All health insurance plans have deductibles. A deductible is the amount of money that you need to pay out of your own pocket before your insurer starts covering your treatment costs.

Some insurance companies may also have a limit on the number of days that they cover. Before you start your treatment, you need to find out whether there are any such limits and what the costs might be if you go over the limit. In fact, understanding these limits is a key step to financially recover after addiction. The duration of addiction treatment varies on a case-by-case basis and it might happen that your recovery takes longer than anticipated. If that happens, you need to know whether your insurance will cover your entire stay or just a part of it. It is not enough to simply ask the question “Does Blue Cross Blue Shield cover rehab“, for example, the devil is in the details, as the old proverb goes. It is always in your best interest to know all the terms set by your insurance provider before your stay in an addiction treatment facility.

Out-of-pocket money

While insurance may be your best option when it comes to paying for your addiction treatment, there are other avenues that you can explore. For example, you can reach out to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) and request to talk to someone about your addiction issues. SAMHSA has a designated helpline that can help you find a treatment facility that can match your needs.

If you are living in a low-income family, you may be able to qualify for Medicaid. This is a government insurance program specially created for low-income families. To qualify, you need to be earning less than $17,236 per year if you are on your own. The amount increases to $29,435 for a family of three. You can apply for Medicaid at your state Medicaid agency at any time, as there are no restrictions whatsoever. Do note that if you are seeking couples rehab in Florida, each person needs to apply for Medicaid separately.

While not exactly ideal, you may want to get in touch with your friends and family members and ask if they can provide financial assistance. You will usually have a better response if you are sincere in your willingness to get better and if you avoid asking for money directly. Instead, ask your friends and family members to help you pay for the treatment itself.

Grants and scholarships

Depending on your situation, you may be able to benefit from certain grants or scholarships. These can be somewhat challenging to find and receive but are well worth asking about at the very least. Note that these options are only for those that have absolutely no way of paying for treatment otherwise. Furthermore, you need to be 100% committed to your recovery, as the facilities that offer grants and scholarships will only offer them to those who are able to complete the program. In other words, if you can prove your dedication to oxycodone rehab, for example, you have a much better chance of getting a scholarship or a grant.

The best way to start searching for financial aid for your treatment is to engage with your local community. Visit your local health agency, your local church, and your local charity groups, to start with. They might have a list of all the facilities that offer financial aid to people who can’t afford treatment on their own.

How to financially recover after addiction

The most important part of financially recovering after addiction is to start small. Whether you are single or have a family depending on you, you will be doing no one any favors if you try to take on everything at once. Here’s a quick outline of the steps you will want to take:

1. Find stable housing
2. Assess your finances
3. Find a job
4. Pay the bills on time
5. Track your expenses
6. Always keep your recovery in mind

If at any point you start feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to seek help from friends, family members, or from your community. Sometimes, all you may need to get back on your feet is a bit of emotional support, after all. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what you need to do to financially recover after addiction.

The importance of stable housing

Stable housing is probably the most important part of addiction recovery. Your housing arrangement has to support your recovery and allow you to financially recover after addiction. You might think that living with your family is the best idea but that might not necessarily be the case. What you need to do is ask yourself several questions that concern your housing arrangement:

• Are the residents of your home committed to helping you recover, welcoming, and supportive?
• Does the house culture include peer investment in recovery?
• Is the level of medical care and therapeutic support sufficient for your needs?
• Will your neighborhood environment support your recovery?

Assessing your finances

If your finances are in shambles after your addiction treatment, the first thing to do is not to panic! You need to clearly analyze your current financial situation before you can make any adjustments. Start by writing down everything you owe and who you owe it to. After that, call the people you owe money to and explain your situation. Mention that you are doing everything in your power to get your finances in order and that all you need is a bit more time. If you happen to need further treatment and are in the middle of figuring out whether does Aetna cover rehab, you might want to mention that as well. Sometimes, honesty is the best policy. That said, you know your creditors best. If you think that you should omit that you’ve undergone treatment (or that you need further treatment), feel free to do so.

Ultimately, you can’t know what your options are if you don’t reach out to the people you owe money to.

Finding a job

This is most probably the most important step if you want to financially recover after addiction. Finding a job after addiction treatment can be quite hard, however, especially if you also have a criminal record. Don’t despair, though, as there are many companies that are more than willing to hire people who are committed to recovery. Try visiting local staffing agencies first, as they may be able to find you a job in the quickest timeframe. The fact of the matter is that if you are committed to finding a job, you will find one, guaranteed. There are always people who will help fellow community members get back on their feet, after all.

The importance of paying the bills on time

Chances are that your addiction wrecked your credit score. As you may already be aware, a credit score is notoriously difficult to fix. The best way to repair your credit score is to start paying your debts on time. While you may not be able to pay off everything you owe immediately, you can start paying your bills on time at the very least. Whenever you have any money left over, you will want to start paying off your other debts. Over time, your credit score will improve and you will get access to many more opportunities.

When paying off debts, it is usually best to sort the highest-interest debts first. If you can manage to pay more than the minimum payment amount, all the better. You may also want to consider getting a secured credit card, as it can provide you with a bit of “breathing room” between your payments. Of course, make sure that you pay the credit card’s balance in full each month.

You will want to track your expenses

When trying to financially recover after addiction, there are no “small” expenses. What you want to do is track every single expense, no matter how small it might be. During the initial period, you may need to remove any expenses that are not essential (entertainment, haircuts, new phone, etc.). All of that can wait for the time being. When you cut down your expenses to bare essentials, you will be surprised at how little money it takes to simply survive. While this might not be fully ideal, it is the fastest way to get your finances in good order. What is important is that you do not get to the point to ask “Does Tricare cover drug rehab” yet again, for example. If you require some “luxuries” to keep your sanity, feel free to treat yourself from time to time. An expense that helps you recover is a money well-spent, after all.

Stay focused on your recovery

No matter what you do, your recovery is going to be the most important thing. There is nothing that you can’t get through if you are sober and thinking clearly! There will be hard times, of course, but if you stay focused on your recovery they will pass. Remember, you are not alone. Millions of Americans are trying to financially recover after addiction and are in a situation that is similar to or even worse than yours.