Step by step instructions on finding rehab treatment when you don’t have insurance.
Getting into rehab without insurance takes a little work and patience, but it is possible.
With good insurance, finding a rehab is easy. However, even if you don’t have insurance and/or the money to pay
up-front, you can still find rehab treatment - you’ll just have to work harder to find it and you may have to sit on a waiting list for a while
before a treatment slot opens up.
Here are some ideas on how and where to find a low-cost rehab that’s billed on a sliding scale that’s related to your
ability to pay, specifically:
Instructions on accessing SAMHSA’s database for low-cost
providers and those willing to work for payment on a sliding scale related to
income.
Instructions for accessing your state’s substance abuse
services.
A complete state by state list of phone numbers and links to
state government run treatment services agencies.
Other community resources, such as Christian faith-based treatment programs.
1. Use SAMHSA
SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, runs a database of most addiction treatment providers in
America. You can search this by location to find providers who offer payment
assistance or treatment on a sliding scale. Once you get a list of potential providers,
it’s up to you to get on the phone and contact each in person, to find out
about availability and fit.1
To use the SAMHSA searchable database:
Visit the SAMHSA treatment locator
Click on your state and then enter your ZIP code to
search for providers within a radius around your home.
Find and click on the ‘select services’ button and then
narrow down your search by searching for providers offering ‘a sliding
fee scale’ or ‘payment assistance’.
Contact each provider by phone to inquire about services.
TIP – When talking to
addiction service providers, ask each if they can help you access any
state, county or city assistance programs that can
help pay for your treatment.
Alternatively, you can also access the SAMHSA database
through their free 1 800 number at 1800 62 HELP, or for the hearing impaired,
at 1 800 487 48891 800 487 4889.
Though finding free
or low cost treatment can seem like an impossible task, actually, a significant
majority of treatment providers, 76%, offer either payment assistance or
sliding scale treatment for eligible patients.2
Services for Veterans
Veterans can also look for treatment though Veterans
Affairs
2. Visit Your State's Website
You should also visit your state’s website to access
state-run behavioral health or addiction treatment programs.
To do this:
Search online by entering your state’s name and .gov in your
search engine, for example ‘Maine .gov’. You should find your state’s website
at the top of the list of search results.
Once on your state’s website, search for addiction services.
States use different terms for this, so try searching for ‘behavioral health’,
‘mental health’ or ‘addiction services’.
Or
Click on State Substance Abuse Agencies and then choose your state in the drop–down menu that pops up.
This will provide you with a 1 800 number for treatment
services in your state, and in most cases, a link to your state’s substance
abuse services website.
You can also scroll to the end of this article where you
will find a complete listing of 1 800 numbers and links to all state addiction treatment
service agencies.
3. Ask around at AA or NA Meetings
If you don’t find treatment through SAMHSA or your state, or
if waiting lists are unacceptably long, you can also try attending a few
different AA, NA, SMART Recovery or other community meetings, so you can ask about local services.
Since many people attending these meetings will be
familiar with local treatment, you may learn about treatment options that
you didn’t find through SAMHSA.
You may also get the inside scoop on the
best service providers – and those to avoid.
People at self-help group meetings are generally very welcoming, but if you haven't been before, you may feel more comfortable by preparing in advance and learning more about what happens at AA and NA meetings.
4. Consider Free Faith-Based Treatment
If you are comfortable with faith-based care, and/or if professional treatment is not available to you, you may have
local treatment options through Christian organizations like the
Salvation Army and others.
State by State Treatment Help-Lines
Phone numbers and links to state government addiction
treatment services.
Since websites and phone numbers will change over time,
please leave a comment below if you find a broken link or an incorrect phone number.
This will help us keep this info correct and up to date.
As of July 20th, 2014:
Alabama: (800) 367-0955 - http://www.mh.alabama.gov/sa
Alaska: (907) 465-4841 - http://dhss.alaska.gov/dbh/Pages/default.aspx
Arizona: (602) 364-4558 - http://www.azdhs.gov/bhs/recipients/addiction.htm
Arkansas: (501) 686-9164 - http://humanservices.arkansas.gov/dbhs/Pages/default.aspx
California: (916) 440-7400 - http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/SUD-Services.aspx
Colorado: (303) 866-7495 - http://www.cdhs.state.co.us/obh
Connecticut: (860) 418-7000 - http://www.ct.gov/dmhas
Delaware: (302) 255-9398 - http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dsamh/index.html
District of Columbia: (202) 727-8857 - http://doh.dc.gov/service/doh-substance-abuse
Florida: (850) 487-2920 - http://www.dcf.state.fl.us
Georgia: (800) 715-4225 - http://www.mygcal.com
Hawaii: (808) 692-7506 - http://health.hawaii.gov
Idaho: (208) 334-5934 - http://www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov
Illinois: (800) 843-6154 - http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=29725
Indiana: (800) 662-4357 - http://www.in.gov/fssa/dmha/2578.htm
Iowa: (866) 242-4111 - http://www.drugfreeinfo.org
Kansas: (785) 296-3471 - http://www.kansasbehavioralhealthservices.org
Kentucky: (502) 564-4456 - http://dbhdid.ky.gov/kdbhdid/default.aspx
Louisiana: (225) 342-8916 - http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/95/n/115
Maine: (207) 287-2595 - http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/osa/help
Maryland: (410) 402-8600 - http://www.mdcsl.org
Massachusetts: (617) 624-5111 - http://www.mass.gov/dph/bsas
Michigan: (517) 373-4700 - http://www.michigan.gov/bhrecovery
Minnesota: (651) 431-2460 - http://mn.gov/dhs
Mississippi: (601) 359-1288 - http://www.dmh.ms.gov/alcohol-and-drug-services
Missouri: (573) 751-4942 - http://dmh.mo.gov/ada/help.htm
Montana: (406) 444-3964 - http://www.mt.gov
Nebraska: (800) 648-4444 - http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/networkofcare
Nevada: (775) 684-4200 - http://www.health.nv.gov
New Hampshire: (603) 271-6738 - http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dcbcs/bdas/index.htm
New Jersey: (609) 777-0702 - http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/das/home/index.html
New Mexico: (505) 476-9295 - http://www.bhc.state.nm.us
New York: (877) 846-7369 - http://www.oasas.ny.gov/providerDirectory
North Carolina: (800) 662-7030 - http://www.ncdhhs.gov
North Dakota: (701) 328-8920 - http://www.nd.gov/dhs/services/mentalhealth/licensing.html
Ohio: (614) 466-2337 - http://mha.ohio.gov
Oklahoma: (800) 522-9054 - http://ok.gov/odmhsas
Oregon: (503) 945-5763 - http://www.oregon.gov/OHA/amh/pages/index.aspx
Pennsylvania: (717) 787-9564 - http://www.ddap.pa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/ddap_home_community/20800
Rhode Island: (401) 462-1000 - http://www.bhddh.ri.gov/SA
South Carolina: (803) 896-5555 - http://www.daodas.org
South Dakota: (605) 773-3123 - http://dss.sd.gov/behavioralhealthservices/community
Tennessee: (800) 889-9789 - http://www.tn.gov/mental
Texas: (512) 206-5145 - http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/MHSA
Utah: (801) 538-3939 - http://www.dsamh.utah.gov
Vermont: (802) 651-1550 - http://healthvermont.gov/adap/adap.aspx
Virginia: (800) 451-5544 - http://www.dbhds.virginia.gov/OSAS-default.htm
Washington: (866) 789-1511 - http://www.adhl.org
West Virginia: (304) 558-0627 - http://www.dhhr.wv.gov/bhhf
Wisconsin: (608) 266-2717 - http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/substabuse/index.htm
Wyoming: (800) 535-4006 - http://www.health.wyo.gov/mhsa/index.html
You can find low-cost
addiction treatment, but you’ll likely have to do some leg-work to arrange it
and you may need to wait for a treatment slot.
Because finding low cost treatment can be a frustrating
experience, and because it’s easy to lose motivation over time, enlist a supportive loved one to help you arrange treatment and to
keep you motivated to move forward with the process.
While waiting for treatment, you can get a head-start on
recovery by attending community self help meetings, like AA, NA or SMART and by
working to control your intake, as much as you can.
Do you need residential addiction treatment or would outpatient treatment work just as well? To find out, read do you need to go to rehab?