79 - Why Is Addiction Treatment So Darn Expensive?

Tom and Ben discuss why addiction treatment is so expensive. People call all the time and unfortunately, they don't all have private insurance or a lot of money. It really pulls at the heartstrings when we hear people's backgrounds and what is going on with them. We would really love to help everyone, regardless of resources.

We are going to talk about the different aspects of what makes up treatment and things that can make private treatment more expensive. If we could help everyone for free, we would. But there are a lot of resources that go into treatment, and we break some of that down today.

Show Notes:

• [05:35] When Ben went to get sober at a state funded detox, they would only open the door when someone left. There is a lot of demand for free detox.
• [06:45] On average, some places can be $80,000 for 30 days. These are for people who have a lot of money. Most private in-patient treatment can run $20,000 to $30,000 a month.
• [08:14] Private insurance can have an upfront deductible that the patient pays. Insurance companies authorize a certain amount of days. They don't actually pay what they are charged.
• [12:32] Treatment centers need to make a certain amount of money to stay afloat. Private treatment centers are a business.
• [13:42] Cash amounts are different according to the services that are provided. Licenses therapists went to school, and they need to be compensated.
• [15:15] You get what you pay for. A poorly paid therapist isn't going to be focused on the patient when they have money problems going on at home.
• [16:43] Business owners that take of their team have the positive results trickled down to everyone else. You want people at the treatment center to be invested in the clients.
• [17:47] Liability insurance and other overhead is very high at a treatment center. Accreditation and upkeep also take up money and man hours.
• [19:07] A brick and mortar facility where people live can have expenses really add up. They also have adventure activities and little extras like trips to McDonalds and gas for the vans.
• [22:22] Not all insurance companies pay equally, so sometimes there is extra cash required. We never know what they are going to pay.
• [23:39] Good paying insurance policies allow us to treat other people who don't have insurance that is as good.
• [24:36] There are different treatment centers and level of care. Look at it as an investment as opposed to an expense. Treatment is the most reliable way to get sober on the front end.
• [26:37] Make sure the patient is completely invested before a loved one puts things on the line with a lot of money.

Links and Resources:

• Real Recovery Talk on YouTube
• Ep. 69 – Choosing the Right Treatment for Me