Paying for Methadone Maintenance Treatment

Over the last four decades methadone has successfully treated people with an opioid addiction. If you or your loved one has an opioid addiction methadone treatment is a part of your life now and will be so once must consider the cost of long-term treatment. Bear in mind, while methadone is an opioid medication, being given the methadone daily in a clinical, regulated setting, in a different way from heroin and other opioids, its success rate is great. A daily dose stays in a person’s body longer than other opioids and with the correct individualized dosage; a person does not crave the opioids. According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, private non-profit agencies operate the majority of free methadone clinics. These private nonprofit groups or agencies make up 73.8 percent of the clinics that are classified as “all free”.

What You Can Expect from a Free Methadone Clinic

Free methadone clinics are available through a lot of providers and you may not even be aware of these types of programs exist. The free services and programs that they provide typically do not differ from the paid or more expensive programs, they are basically the same. In some states, because they are state funded methadone clinics, there may be a waiting list that could be quite lengthy. Being on a waiting list may be the only down side of the free clinic although it does depend on the area. These free clinics have the ability to provide free maintenance doses to you or your loved one at no cost. Once completely rolled out, the new Health Care Reform law better known as the Affordable Care Act, will assist those with opioid addiction ensuring that most every type of health insurance plan will provide substance abuse treatment coverage, this will also includes methadone maintenance treatments.

Other Options for Methadone Treatment

Many insurance companies offer some coverage for methadone.

There are some other options available to you to ensure you can continue to receive your treatment. Some health insurances do pay for the methadone treatment and it is best to review this with your insurer. Also, if your insurance carrier does not cover the cost, you may be able to seek out an outpatient clinic that would allow you to pay on a sliding scale. When the clinic allows you to pay on a sliding scale, they would consider your income and ability to pay and come up with a number that works for you so you can continue to receive your treatments. There are also grants that would be able to assist you with payment, generally they are federally funded and the clinic should be able to assist you with the necessary information need to secure this. You do have many options, some require a bit of work to get you the help needed however it will be the best option as you continue with your recovery.