Mississippi Affordable Healthcare Insurance Coverage
Substance abuse can be a devastating illness that afflicts people regardless of their personal background. Those who struggle with the disease often know how difficult it is to stop using their substance of choice. Most people who want to regain control over their lives and their health will need to go through rehab and treatment with trained professionals.
As patients begin to think about this type of treatment, however, the question of affordability and insurance often comes into play. Fortunately, insurance companies do provide coverage for inpatient and outpatient substance abuse and mental health treatment. They will also provide coverage for other types of health services that are often needed by those struggling with substance abuse, such as emergency room services.
For patients in Mississippi that are interested in finding the right insurance and getting treatment for their substance abuse problem, the Affordable Healthcare plans might be a good option. Here is what all patients should know.
Substance Abuse Coverage and Affordable Healthcare in Mississippi
Ambetter from Magnolia Health and United Healthcare both provide affordable health coverage for people in Mississippi. These plans have been designed to provide a number of different ways to balance monthly cost with anticipated healthcare costs. Patients will have to decide if the higher monthly costs while receiving a higher percentage of care covered — like a Gold level plan– is better, or if they prefer to have a lower monthly cost and have to pay for more of the actual care out of their pocket– like a Bronze plan. Generally, Gold level plans cover 80 percent of healthcare costs and cost the most in Mississippi. Silver covers 70 percent of healthcare costs but it has lower monthly payments. Bronze only covers 60 percent of the healthcare costs but is the cheapest each month.
Patients Entering Rehab
The journey from substance abuse to recovery can be a long, challenging one. It is not uncommon for patients to have experience in the emergency room because of the impact the substances have on their minds and bodies. Insurance plans will cover emergency room visits, with some out-of-pocket charges. Most of the plans available in the state will require patients to meet their deductible. Some will have no additional charges while others will charge a coinsurance rate of about 10 to 20 percent.
Patients struggling with this illness will often have to go through a detox program. This might be at a hospital or through their rehab program. During detox, many patients find themselves needing medications to help them reach sobriety. Insurance companies will issue a formulary with their insurance plan, which divides the medications into different categories, such as generic, specialty and preferred drugs. Each category will have its own pricing. Most of the plans currently offered in this state either have no charge after the deductible for generic drugs or the have a copay of $10-$30. A couple plans have a flat copayment instead of coinsurance. This fee can range from a few dollars to a few hundred.
Charges For Treatments
After the patient has completed detox, they will then need to go through rehab. This can be an inpatient or an outpatient facility, depending upon the unique needs of the patient. Although all plans will cover this type of care, the pricing may vary. Some patients will not owe anything after the deductible. Others will be charged a coinsurance fee or copayment. The copayments can vary from $10 to a few hundred dollars. The coinsurance fee may be as high as 50 percent on some plans. Patients and their loved ones will need to consider these fees when calculating the cost of the rehab treatment.
For some patients, rehab is best accomplished when it is done together with alternative treatments. Many patients thrive when they are able to participate in mind building and skill building activities, such as art therapy, horseback riding or acupuncture. Since it is common for these alternate therapies to not be covered directly by insurance, patients should investigate if their plan is compatible with an HSA. This is a health savings account that allows people to put aside tax-free money specifically for health-related costs. It may be possible to use these funds to pay for certain alternate therapies from licensed providers.
Those interested in learning more about their treatment options and what their insurance should cover can get started by reaching out to us at RehabCent
er.net. We have the tools patients and their loved ones need to successfully navigate the stressful path of rehab and substance abuse treatment.
