Colorado Affordable Healthcare Insurance Coverage

February 26, 2016

For patients who need help with their substance abuse and addiction issues, insurance coverage can be an important part of recovery. For many with this illness, treatment requires weeks, months, or even years of therapy and support. After a rehab stay, most patients will also need some form of additional treatment and care, such as continued outpatient therapy. This type of treatment will provide the patient with much needed support and encouragement as they venture back into society without their substance of choice.

These various stages of treatment can come with large costs, but insurance can help patients alleviate this financial stress. Although all plans will provide coverage for substance abuse treatment, the amount of coverage can vary depending on the plan. Here is what all patients should know about their Affordable Healthcare plans in Colorado.

Substance Abuse and Affordable Healthcare in Colorado

There are a number of different Affordable Healthcare plans in Colorado. These plans are from several different providers, including Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, United Healthcare, Cigna, Humana, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, and Elevate by Denver Health Medical Plan. The plans are divided among five levels: Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Catastrophic plans are unique because they are only available for people who are under the age of 30 and those who have a demonstrable hardship exemption. The rest of the plans are available to anyone. The higher the plan is ranked, the higher the monthly premiums will be, but the lower the deductibles will generally be and the plan will cover a higher percentage of care. In Colorado, premiums generally range from a low of about $200 to a high of nearly $500. The plans with the higher premiums might have deductibles as low as $0 to $1000, while those with lower premiums will have deductibles as high as $4000 to $6500 per individual.

In addition to taking into account the costs associated with the deductible, patients interested in inpatient or outpatient treatment for substance abuse should also consider the payment structure put forth by their insurance plan for this care. There are some plans which will have a flat copayment for services. This payment might be as low as a few dollars or as high as a few hundred dollars. Other plans will have a coinsurance payment. The percentage that patients might be responsible for might range from 10 percent to about 40 percent. There are also a few plans that will not have any charges beyond the deductible for this type of healthcare. Knowing the type of payment plan that the insurance company uses can help patients budget for their treatment.

Patients and their families should also consider the potential medical costs of continuing care after the main rehab. Many patients will need more support after they have left rehab as they prepare to reenter society. This support can come in the form of a halfway house, continued outpatient therapy or regular meetings. Many of these treatment options, however, will often end up costing even more in copayments and coinsurance. For those who have a plan with high copayments or coinsurance, this can mean significant costs. Fortunately, several of the plans do come with an HSA option. An HSA is a savings account specifically for health costs. Patients can use their HSA to accumulate tax-free money that can be used to cover copayments, deductibles, and related treatment costs.

For patients interested in pursuing treatment for a substance abuse disorder in Colorado, being familiar with insurance coverage can be very helpful. It can help patients make the optimal selections for their providers and facilities while also budgeting wisely. Those interested in learning more about their insurance coverage and treatment options can use RehabCenter.net to gather more information.