Addiction treatment during COVID

1. Treatment could be more affordable

While insurance companies are now required to cover both behavioral and mental health conditions (which include addiction), that doesn’t mean they cover out-of-state addiction treatment. It varies on your individual insurance, but there’s a chance sticking to your area for addiction treatment could be less expensive.

Again, it depends on your insurance and the coverage details, but some companies will only pay for a restricted number of addiction treatment options that may only include local options. The best way to figure this out, and minimize your expenses, is to call your insurance company and see what coverage your insurance provides.

Recovery Centers of America is in-network with most major insurance providers, so treatment could cost as little as a copay. For those who do not have insurance or have an accepted insurance provider, RCA has a few different options available, including a flexible, interest-free self-pay plan.

2. You are closer to friends and family

One of the foundations of achieving and maintaining recovery is having a solid support system in place. Going to a local treatment facility means you’re closer to family and friends who support your decision to seek treatment and get on the road to recovery. It also means they can come to visit you while you’re in inpatient treatment and bring you things you may need, like extra clothing, as well as emotional support.

And with a local treatment facility, you and your family won’t have safety worries that come along with traveling, including COVID-19 exposure.

Seeking treatment locally is also a healing opportunity for families. Most treatment facilities provide family programming and therapy, like RCA’s Seeds to Recovery program, to help families move beyond the damage addiction has caused. The closer your family is, the better likelihood they will be able to participate in these programs. Whether your family has damage that needs to be mended or years of conflict and resentment, attending programming and therapy can help families become whole again.

3. You will be comfortable in your surroundings

It’s a big reason why so many people elect to have surgery or other medical treatment close to home: They want to be familiar with their surroundings. There’s just something about being in a familiar place that’s close to home that offers a feeling of peace and comfortability.

If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t do well in unfamiliar settings by yourself, where you have no ties to the area and no familiarity with your surroundings, you would likely do better in a local treatment facility. You won’t be able to focus on getting well again if you’re feeling uneasy and distraught by unfamiliar surroundings.

Some people feel they are “running away” from their addictions and the problems it has caused by going out of state. The problem with this is, those issues will still be there when they get home. When you stick with local treatment, you learn how to deal with negative people, places, and things and replace them with other local, new people, places, and things.

4. You can find the right sponsor

While finding a sponsor may seem far down the road, you need someone to count on and who will help you through tough times. Much like addiction treatment, there are things you need to look for before choosing. One of those things is location.

As you become immersed in treatment, you’re going to meet a lot of different people who may be in recovery or submerged in the recovery world. For example, once you leave RCA inpatient treatment and join our Alumni Association, a local Alumni member will help introduce you to your local AA/NA meetings and help you find your sponsor. All of this would be more difficult if you could only have these conversations on the phone.

You also want someone who will be able to meet for a coffee or take a walk (while practicing safe social distancing!) While a phone conversation could help, knowing that you are able to count on someone’s presence can offer a world of comfort.

5. The set up for aftercare is better

Seeking addiction treatment locally can help make the transition from inpatient to outpatient treatment a bit easier. RCA helps patients make the step down from inpatient to outpatient, whether it’s with us or another outpatient provider. If you are at an out-of-state facility, it will be a challenge to find and set up an aftercare plan where you live, because your provider is in another town. You don’t want to have to state from scratch after being away for treatment.

If you decide to go to an outpatient provider outside of RCA, we will be able to confidently recommend local providers, as we know and trust them.

While your outpatient schedule will be determined by you and your clinical team, you’ll be more likely to attend it on a regular basis if you have family members offering their support and engagement, engaging in conversation when you come home, or even providing a ride to and from treatment.

Ultimately, the decision to seek treatment locally or out of state will be based on individual preferences and needs. However, with these benefits in mind, you may decide that addiction treatment out of state isn’t quite as worth it and that you would benefit from staying closer to home. If you need assistance deciding on a treatment facility, we can help with that, too.