How to Use Veteran and Non-Veteran Insurance to Pay for Rehab in Florida

For anyone, dealing with insurance can be a challenge. But the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) insurance can be particularly difficult to navigate, especially if you’re trying to figure out whether or not the VA pays for rehab. And that’s a problem, because veterans are at increased risk of developing substance use disorders due to their military service, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

At Heroes’ Mile, we work every day with veterans and non-veterans to get them in for addiction treatment using their benefits. And to help make the process as easy as possible.

Does the Veterans (VA) Pay for Rehab?

One of the first questions that veterans with addiction issues ask is whether VA insurance covers addiction treatment. And the good news is that yes, VA benefits do cover drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, including:

• Medical detox from drugs and alcohol: Here, veterans undergo 24/7 medical monitoring and support while detoxing from drugs and alcohol. With constant medical attention, any and all withdrawal symptoms can be addressed and treated as they arise. Moreover, veterans benefit from a safe, sober space in which to start their recovery, which greatly lowers the risk of initial relapse.
• Residential rehabilitation: Following medical detox, veterans attend residential rehab to work on coping skills to address the root causes of addiction. With peer-to-peer veteran support, military personnel in treatment discuss issues like combat exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder, and military sexual trauma, to name a few. In this way, communal support among veterans can lead to resolution of long-term issues and help vets develop workable sober life plans.
• Outpatient support programs: Following residential treatment for veterans, outpatient programming can help vets transition back to daily life without relying on drugs or alcohol. By continuing to get help as you go back to living off-site, you can get valuable tips from other veterans on how to implement the tools you got in residential rehab. This can also help veterans who have struggled with the transition back to civilian life.

As you can see, VA insurance pays for many levels of veteran addiction treatment. Now let’s talk about how you can get the VA to approve your rehabilitation at your chosen veteran rehab in Florida.

Using Veteran (VA) Insurance at Your Veteran Rehab of Choice

There is a popular misconception that VA insurance can only be used at VA health centers. But in fact, it’s easy to use VA benefits at other locations thanks to the VA’s Community Care Network. But how does this program work?

When a veteran’s needs are best served outside the VA, that individual can go to a Community Care partner and use their VA insurance to receive care. However, to receive covered care, veterans do need to apply to receive treatment with a Community Care partner in advance. You can do this by contacting your local VA and asking how to use your VA benefits at your chosen addiction rehabilitation center.

How can a non-veteran individual use their private insurance at Heroes’ Mile?

Non-veterans can often use private insurance to help cover the cost of rehab at facilities like Heroes’ Mile. Many private insurance providers, including companies like Aetna, American Behavioral, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Community Care, Florida Health, Humana, Multiplan, Optum, Tricare East, United Healthcare and USA Health, offer plans that cover various levels of addiction treatment, from outpatient therapy to residential care. Non-veteran individuals should first contact their insurance provider to confirm coverage details and verify that Heroes’ Mile is within their network. Heroes’ Mile admissions staff can also assist by reviewing your policy benefits and guiding you through the insurance verification process to help determine coverage options. Please fill out our Insurance Verification form