TRICARE West Health Insurance for Alcohol Addiction Treatment in California

TRICARE is a health insurance provider for active duty service members, veterans, retirees, and their families. TRICARE health insurance in California covers alcohol addiction treatment, and the extent of coverage depends on the plan type. Current and former military personnel have access to TRICARE insurance coverage because it is part of the U.S. military healthcare system. TRICARE health insurance does typically cover alcohol rehabilitation, and the first step is to contact the TRICARE service provider to find out the extent of coverage. Depending on the health insurance plan, alcohol treatment options like alcohol detox, residential rehabilitation, outpatient alcohol addiction treatment, and aftercare support are partially or fully covered.

The rehabilitation process for treating alcohol addiction involves multiple steps. Alcohol detox programs in California provide extensive services for all severity of alcohol addiction. Most alcoholics that abused alcohol for many years require a medically supervised detox program. Medical detox for alcohol addiction involves medication and medical supervision to ease and manage withdrawal symptoms. However, alcohol detox should not be considered the only approach to treat alcohol addiction. Following a successful alcohol detox, the next step involves attending residential or outpatient alcohol rehab programs. TRICARE provides various in-network or out-of-network options, and families should choose an alcohol rehab program based on the needs of the person struggling with alcohol addiction. Moreover, aftercare support should also be considered after completing alcohol rehabilitation.

How Does Private Health Insurance Cover Alcohol Rehab in California?

TRICARE West health insurance in California offers several different plans that include covering substance abuse treatment. TRICARE Prime is a plan for active-duty members, and it covers retired members and their families. The coverage is for most forms of substance abuse treatment, and depending on the coverage, there is likely a co-pay or deductible. Other plans include TRICARE Select, Standard Overseas, and Retired Reserve plans. TRICARE Select is another option for active duty and retired military members and their families. Members typically have additional choices in their providers, but there are higher costs. Through a TRICARE Prime plan, certain services must go through an approval process before authorization occurs.

For most TRICARE plans, members can opt to receive care from an out-of-network service provider, but the costs are higher than using an in-network provider. Other plans through TRICARE require the person to go to an in-network provider. In-network providers for alcohol rehab offer the least expensive options as the rates are usually negotiated between providers and the TRICARE insurance plan. Some providers may require the family to pay the entire treatment cost upfront and receive reimbursement upon completion. The first step is to contact the drug rehab center and the health insurance provider. It is beneficial for families to access alcohol rehabilitation services through their health insurance provider as there are different options to consider.

What Type of Alcohol Rehab Does Health Insurance Cover in California?

No matter what plan a person has, TRICARE covers some components of treatment for alcohol addiction. However, a family must ensure the facility they choose is one of the TRICARE-approved residential alcohol rehab centers or outpatient alcohol rehab centers. Some alcohol rehab centers and services operate in-network while others operate out-of-network. Health insurance may cover cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, family therapy, 12-step facilitation, individual therapy, and other behavioral therapy approaches. When determining what type of alcohol rehab is needed, an addiction assessment is a good place to begin. Typically, addiction assessments for alcohol addiction are done through state or private healthcare providers and an alcohol rehab referral agency. The purpose of an addiction assessment is to determine the severity and extent of alcohol addiction and to find the best possible alcohol rehab covered by TRICARE health insurance. Fortunately, when members use providers within the TRICARE network, they are responsible for the costs remaining after TRICARE pays the provider.

Family Intervention for Alcohol Addiction in California

It is difficult to watch a family member struggling with alcohol addiction. Family intervention in California is a successful option to consider. Once a family has found a suitable alcohol rehab center through their TRICARE health insurance plan, the next step is convincing the alcohol-addicted family member to accept help. Family intervention can motivate someone to seek help for their alcohol addiction. Hiring a professional interventionist helps make this possible. Someone who struggles with alcohol addiction is often in denial about their situation and unwilling to seek help. An alcoholic may not recognize the negative effects their behavior has on themselves and others. A family intervention presents an alcoholic with a structured opportunity to make changes before the alcohol addiction becomes progressively worse.

The family intervention of an alcoholic is a carefully planned process and is done with the help of a professional interventionist. During a family intervention, friends and family gather together to confront the alcoholic about their drinking and ask them to accept help. A family intervention presents specific examples of destructive behaviors and their impact on the alcoholic and their family. Moreover, a family intervention offers prearranged alcohol rehab with the help of the interventionist and TRICARE health insurance. Also, the family interventionist helps the family prepare what each person will do if the alcoholic refuses to accept help. Family intervention is a successful option to consider when a family member is addicted to alcohol.

Health Insurance for Alcohol Rehab and Alcohol Addiction Trends in California

Alcohol addiction impacts veterans, retirees, and active duty service members in California like in any other state. The veteran population in California is over 1.8 million, and 7.4% are unemployed, while over 12,000 are homeless. In California, alcohol use disorder was more prevalent than other types of substance abuse. Approximately 6% of California residents reported meeting the criteria for alcohol addiction. In addition, California’s uninsured rate has fallen from 17% to 7.1%. The number of uninsured Californians has dropped by 3.7 million. Approximately 1.5 million California residents get their coverage through Covered California.

Sources-

United States Census Bureau. Veterans Statistics California. https://www2.census.gov/library/visualizations/2015/comm/vets/ca-vets.pdf

California Health Care Foundation. Substance Use in California: A look at Addiction and Treatment. October 2018. https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SubstanceUseDisorderAlmanac2018.pdf

California Health Care Foundation. How Many in Your Area are covered by the Affordable Care Act. September 2020. https://www.chcf.org/publication/how-many-your-area-are-covered-affordable-care-act/