The new federal coverage laws will ensure that citizens will have the same services Cory Monteith is using.
The importance of rehab services has been in the spotlight this week as Cory Monteith, of Glee fame, completed his own stint to recover from drug abuse, and at the same time, it has brought the healthcare reforms and their addiction coverage into the spotlight.
The changes to the law, which will go into effect next year, will make sure these services are available to everyone.
The lead actor may be an example of the many celebrities who use rehab services, a type of treatment that has traditionally been available only to the wealthy. However, when the full brunt of the healthcare reforms go into effect on January 1, 2014, these addiction services will be accessible to everyone.
Rehab coverage will be an important part of the healthcare reforms that are going into effect.
According to Carla K. Johnson, from her Associated Press report, there are up to 5 million people across the United States who will become eligible to use rehab services under the provisions of the healthcare reforms next year. This will give everyday people access to the same types of assistance for substance abuse that had previously been enjoyed only by celebrities and other wealthy individuals.
The reason that it has been only celebrities such as Monteith who have been able to use substance abuse rehab services is that these treatments can range from approximately $1,400 for an outpatient treatment to a tremendous $30,000 for a month long sting at one of the higher end residential treatment programs. This, according to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration study.
The residential drug rehab programs at the lower end still cost around $4,000, which is often cost prohibitive for the average individual. Moreover, addiction recovery using Methadone can cost an additional $7,000. Therefore, even the cheapest possible programs can often be out of the question for many people. The healthcare reforms are hoping to reverse this trend, as well as many other trends associated with substance abuse, including crime, higher health treatment costs, and lost productivity.
