Cigna Coverage for Drug and Alcohol Detox & Addiction Treatment

Cigna insurance has roots within the health service field that reach back as far as 200 years. As of 1982, Cigna established itself as a premier health insurance provider.

Today’s drug addiction epidemic has opened up huge demands for rehab treatment, but today’s healthcare costs make it difficult for many to get the help they need. Having a reliable insurance provider in your corner makes getting needed treatment help possible.

Cigna insurance coverage can go a long way towards making detox treatment affordable as well as help offset drug rehab costs in general. Understanding what your Cigna policy will and won’t cover gets you one step closer to finding a detox program that’s right for you.

Does Cigna Cover Drug & Alcohol Detox?

Detox treatment marks the first stage of recovery for anyone who’s lost the ability to control drug or alcohol use. Costs associated with detox treatment tend to run high simply because of the range of interventions used to get you through this difficult first stage.

Most all Cigna plans cover detox treatment services, though different plan categories provide different levels of coverage. Cigna plan categories include the following:

• Silver – the least expensive plan, paying 70 percent of treatment costs
• Gold – Cigna’s mid-level plan, which pays 80 percent of treatment costs
• Platinum – the most expensive plan, paying 90 percent of treatment costs

While each plan category pays a percentage of total treatment costs, it helps to keep in mind that services received must be deemed medically necessary for a standard Cigna plan to pick up the cost.

Does Cigna Cover Drug & Alcohol Rehab?

Addiction recovery seldom ends at the detox stage due to how the effects of substance abuse warp the brain’s thinking. Consequently, a good majority of people who complete a detox program require ongoing treatment support.

You can use your Cigna plan to offset these rehab costs. Once again, each plan is different so some plans may cover more services than others.

Most Cigna plans belong to health provider networks. Whereas some plans restrict you to a certain network, others are more flexible in terms of where you can go to get treatment. These differences ultimately determine which detox programs will accept your Cigna coverage.

Health provider networks break down as follows:

• Health Maintenance Organizations, or HMOs
• Preferred Provider Organizations, or PPOs
• Exclusive Provider Organizations, or EPOs
• Point-of-Service, or POSs

How Long Will Cigna Cover Detox Services?

Cigna insurance could cover all of your detox and rehab costs.

Whether you’re coming off a drug or alcohol problem, the detox period typically runs anywhere from seven to 90 days depending on the severity of your addiction. Cigna will cover detox services for as long as they are deemed medically necessary. This means your Cigna plan may well cover your detox stay for up to 90 days.

The severity of your condition also determines what type of program will provide the level of support you need to make it through the detox stage. Not surprisingly, different program types vary in cost with the most intensive programs costing the most.

Program types include the following:

• Inpatient detox – the most intensive
• Residential detox
• Intensive outpatient detox
• Outpatient detox – the least intensive

Does Cigna Provide Coverage for Luxury Detox & Other Non-Essential Benefits?

Luxury programs, also known as executive detox programs, spare no expense, offering posh accommodations, new or advanced treatment techniques, and scenic locales. While these programs do a good job at helping individuals progress through the detox stage, Cigna plans do not cover luxury-based treatment programs. On the other hand, your Cigna policy may still cover certain standard services offered by a luxury program depending on your plan is structured, but you’d have to pay the remainder of program costs out-of-pocket.

In essence, Cigna plans adhere to the essential vs non-essential benefits standard when it comes to insuring detox services. While today’s health laws have come a long way in terms of classifying substance abuse treatment as an essential health benefit, cost-effectiveness is always an issue for insurance providers.

How Can I Cover the Excess Costs of Detox That Are NOT Covered by Insurance?

As with any other form of health insurance, your Cigna plan does require you to pay certain out-of-pocket costs, such as copays, deductibles, and monthly premiums. These costs can easily strain your financial stability considering how substance abuse problems have already taken a toll on your finances.

Fortunately, there are ways to make these costs more affordable. Many detox and rehab programs will work with you by offering one or more payment assistance options. Assistance options may include the following:

• Monthly payment arrangements
• Income-adjusted payment schedules
• Third-party financing
• Program grant and scholarship offerings