There are drug rehabs Fort Lauderdale that take Blue Cross of Maryland for substance abuse treatment. It’s no secret that the opioid crisis and addiction to other harmful drugs is a full blown epidemic in the United States of America. What might be less known though, is that Blue Cross of Maryland and Drug Rehabs in Fort Lauderdale, FL have partnered in an attempt to provide drug treatment to residents of Maryland.  In particular, areas around Baltimore (590,479 residents),

Columbia (103,663 residents), and Germantown (90,844 residents) are especially rife with the disease. In addition to drug addiction, in recent months these areas have also been seriously affected by the COVID 19 breakout.

In this article we will discuss some of the reasons that some health insurance companies may try to avoid covering mental health and drug addiction claims. We will also discuss why it is in their long-term best financial interest to fully cover these issues. And finally, we will discuss the benefits of some health insurance companies including Blue Cross of Maryland and Drug Rehabs in Fort Lauderdale to work along side of each other while helping to resolve one of the greatest health challenges currently facing our nation.

Will Blue Cross of Maryland pay for Drug Rehabs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?

The short answer to this question on substance abuse rehabilitation treatment is yes. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) has opened the door for access to drug and alcohol addiction treatment. Prior to 2008, there was less policy definition than today regarding coverage of mental health and addiction in group health insurance plans. Many group plans provided significantly richer benefits for physical ailments and surgery than mental health or addiction.

Then, The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) was signed into law. MHPAEA is a federal law that generally prevents group health plans and health insurance issuers that provide mental health or substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits from imposing less favorable benefit limitations on those benefits as opposed to medical/surgical benefits.

The MHPAEA provides legilation requiring all health insurers and group health plans who provide both medical and surgical coverage plus mental health/substance abuse coverage guarantee “complete parity for limitations on treatment day and visit number and for all financial requirements, including deductibles, co-pays, out-of-network coverage and out-of-pocket caps.” What all this means, is that mental health coverage may not be more restrictive or expensive than medical-surgical coverage. The Act regulates mental health coverage but does not create access where there is none.  For example, smaller companies with less than 50 employees, and group plans not offering any mental health care services are exempt from the MHPAEA.

Also worthy of note is that all plans under the Afforadable Care Act must provide mental health benefits including treatment for addiction and substance abuse. So the rules are clearly spelled out for  Blue Cross of Maryland and Drug Rehabs in Fort Lauderdale, to work together in treating victims of drug and alcohol abuse.

Blue Cross of Maryland and Drug Rehabs in Fort Lauderdale Need to Provide both In-network and Out-of-Network Coverage

A key limitation to providing coverage for both addiction and mental health treatment has been identified by the National Alliance in Mental Illness (NAMI). In a recently published article, they discuss network inadequacies for mental health treatment. In the article, they cite two specific reasons:

1. Shortages of mental health professionals nationwide and particularly in rural parts of the country
2. A large percentage of mental health and substance use providers do not accept insurance

As previously mentioned, for Blue Cross of Maryland and Drug Rehabs in Fort Lauderdale, the Affordable Care Act addresses the issue of networks by requiring qualified health plans to meet network adequacy standards by maintaining a sufficient provider network.  This means providers that specialize in mental health and substance abuse services must be available in sufficient in numbers to service the enrolled population. Specifically; providers that specialize in mental health and substance abuse services must be available to ensure that all services are accessible in a reasonable amount of time.

The Economics of Drug Abuse in the United States

The residual costs of drug and alcohol addiction has spiraled out of control in our country. Its been calculated that Drug and alcohol use in the United States costs $1.45 trillion in economic loss and societal harm annually.  This comprises $578 billion in economic loss plus, $874 billion dollars in societal harm that include emergency medical assistance, theft, violent crime, and unnecessary death.

If we contrast these costs with the costs that would be incurred to treat every addicted individual in the US, it would come to approximately $224 billion. (This assumes the cost of treatment to be approximately $11,600 per participant). This would result in a savings of approximately $368 billion that could be avoided through direct, indirect, and intangible costs. However; in addition to cost savings, Blue Cross of Maryland and Drug Rehabs in Fort Lauderdale working together to provide treatment represents a much more humane way of treating and respecting our fellow Americans.

Blue Cross of Maryland and and Florida Rehabilitation Centers are Helping to Resolve a National Crisis

Now we will discuss how health insurance companies including Blue Cross of Maryland and Drug Rehabs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. are helping to resolve the widespread crisis we face as a nation. So far in this article, we have discussed some of the reasons for insufficient mental health and addiction treatment insurance coverage. We have also demonstrated the positive economic impact and taxpayer savings of a instituting a comprehensive treatment plan for all victims of addiction and mental health that require treatment.

It is clearly a benefit when a health insurance company functions in a spirit of partnership when working with mental health and addiction treatment providers. The passage of the Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) ended the elimination of ANY type of treatment due to pre-existing conditions including addiction and mental health. This actually paved the way for insurance companies and treatment providers to work more closely.

A legitimate concern that many health insurance have is due to the poor industry image that has been created by imposters posing as addiction treatment centers and not providing treatment. Many illegitimate businesses posing as addiction treatment centers have been closed by law enforcement in recent years.  At one time, Delray Beach, FL was considered to be at the center of fraudulently run treatment centers.  Some addicts were actually paid to attend a so-called treatment center, allowing for fraudulent billing and misrepresentation.

The great majority of phony treatment centers have been permanently closed down and health insurance companies such as Blue Cross of Maryland and Drug Rehabs in Fort Lauderdale are now able to achieve a higher level of cooperation and display a true desire to treat and cure their clients.

How to Obtain Help from Blue Cross of Maryland with Drug Rehabs in Fort Lauderdale

Yes, Blue Cross of Maryland will help pay for drug rehabs in Fort Lauderdale Florida. You are just a phone call away from getting help. If you live in Maryland and are a victim of addiction, the first thing to do is contact the treatment center that you wish to attend. They will check with your insurance to be sure that will cover your treatment.  If your insurance is not Blue Cross of Maryland and drug rehabs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida are where you would like to go you should give us a call. There are several ways we can assist you today. Addiction doesn’t have to control your life.

The Source Addiction Treatment Center is located in Fort Lauderdale, FL and they are happy to work with Blue Cross of Maryland.  The Source provides specialized treatment with a specialty and focus on Trauma related addictions. They also have specialized programs to serve pregnant women and mothers with young children, and dedicated programs focused on our LGBTQ community. If you can take that first step, we can help you achieve long-term sobriety. Give us a call now at (800) 204-0418.