Expanding treatment options for addicts is being addressed now that its availability is has come into question by the families of addicted loved ones, and mourning loved ones left behind. If treatment had been made more accessible, maybe some would still be here? Maybe some wouldn’t be so bad off? But just because some may be exposed to treatment, it may not have been long enough to make a difference. Despite recommended longer treatment lengths, insurance companies are resisting their responsibility. So now treatment minimums are looking to be raised for the sake of an addicts lasting sobriety.
The length of time someone may attend treatment may depend on the patient’s problems and needs, but the affordable treatment options available may not be long enough to manage the mental dependency that has caused such lifelong difficulties. And sometimes the county or charity ran programs are unable to keep their patients long enough due to the overwhelming need to have available beds open for more patients.
“We need affordable treatment. It does not need to be ran by Big Pharma or pushed by drug company manufacturers,” said Lori Moore with Not One More Alabama. “The studies show that 90 days minimum is how long they need to be in treatment the first time.”
90 days isn’t considered short term by insurance companies, and 90 day stays are not usually covered by insurance.
“They get 12 to 14 days of treatment,” said substance abuse specialist Keith Watts about insurance coverage. “We try to supplement that with out-patient treatment. It’s not enough. You’re talking about people, a lifetime of bad ideas, bad thinking, behaviors around substance abuse. You can’t fix it in two weeks.”
According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, Individuals progress through drug addiction treatment at various speeds, so there is no predetermined length of treatment. However, research has shown unequivocally that good outcomes are contingent on adequate lengths of treatment. Generally, for residential or outpatient treatment, participation for less than 90 days is of limited or no effectiveness, and treatments lasting significantly longer often are indicated. For methadone maintenance, 12 months of treatment is the minimum, and some opiate-addicted individuals will continue to benefit from methadone maintenance treatment over a period of years.
The problem is many cannot afford proper treatment on their own, and many affordable programs are abstinence based, 12 step programs for long-term recovery and those options are not always the most successful. Recovery is not one size fits all.
Source : The Recover Newsroom
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