Does Regence BlueShield Insurance Cover Alcohol and Drug Rehab?

Regence BlueCross BlueShield insurance plans are available in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, or Washington state.¹ If you live in either of these states, have an insurance plan through Regence BlueShield, and are struggling with addiction, you may be wondering whether your plan covers alcohol and drug rehab. Depending on the plan type you have and where you seek care, your Regency BlueShield health plan may provide coverage in some capacity for addiction treatment, including alcohol and drug rehab.

To find out what may be covered under your health plan, you have a few options. First, you can call the number on the back of your insurance card and speak to a Regence BlueShield representative. You could also log in to your online account and review your summary of benefits and coverage. Finally, you can work with the rehab center you choose directly to have them check your coverage based on basic insurance information that you provide.

Check Regence BlueShield Insurance Coverage for Addiction Treatment

To help avoid unexpected medical bills, it’s important to check your benefits and coverage before seeking care whenever possible. However, checking your benefits can seem like a difficult task, especially with the jargon that may be present in your summary of benefits and coverage or while you’re talking to an insurance representative. That’s where American Addiction Centers (AAC) can help.

AAC is a leader in the addiction treatment industry, specializing in providing top-notch care at its centers across the country. But the highly trained staff is also here to help everyone learn more about addiction treatment and understand how their insurance can help them get affordable care. If you call the confidential AAC helpline today, you’ll speak to a person who can check your benefits right while you’re on the phone. Plus, they can help you find a covered facility near you.

You can also enter your insurance information in the form below and instantly find out more about your benefits and coverage.

What Is Regence BlueShield?

Regence BlueShield is 1 of the 34 independent licensees of plans from the BlueCross BlueShield Association.² It is the name of the plans issued in Idaho (Regence BlueShield of Idaho), Utah (Regence BlueCross BlueShield), Washington (Regence BlueShield), and Oregon (Regence BlueCross BlueShield).² Regence BCBS has been around for decades, with specific history varying on which state you live in and which plan you have.

Regence Blue Shield has been serving Utahans for 77 years.³ In 2021, in Utah, Regence BCBS provided coverage to more than 699,771 Utahans and had a network of over 17,360 providers and 610 in-network facilities.³ Regence BCBS in Oregon has been serving members for 80 years and, in 2021, was serving 971,936 covered members.⁴

Members in Oregon had access to 34,203 in-network providers and 665 in-network facilities.⁴ Idahoans have been served by Regence BCBS for 75 years.⁵ In 2021, 263,211 people were covered under a plan, and covered members had access to 448 in-network facilities and 12,387 in-network providers.⁵

Finally, Regence BlueShield has been serving members in Washington for 104 years.⁶ In 2021, 1.47 million members were served, with access to 42,842 covered providers and 700 in-network facilities.⁶

Collectively, the group of Regency BlueShield plans cover 3,404,918 members, as of 2021, making it one of the larger licensees of the BlueCross BlueShield Association of plans.^{Don’t have a source for this as I just added all the numbers from the above sources} To learn more about your plan, log in to your online member portal or call the number on the back of your card.

Regence BlueShield Plans

Regence BlueShield provides health insurance plans across various markets, including the Health Insurance Marketplace Exchange, private plans, employer-sponsored plans, Medicaid, and Medicare plans.² Not all plan types are available based on where you live.

Although almost all U.S. health plans are required to provide some level of coverage for addiction treatment, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act.⁷ To find out what type of plan you have, you can often look at your insurance card for more details. You can also call the number on the back of your plan card to speak with a Regence BlueShield plan representative for more information about your plan.

What Will Regence BlueShield Insurance Cover?

The healthcare services, including addiction treatment, that may be covered under your Regence BlueShield plan will vary based on a variety of factors. Some of the most influential include the plan you have, your location, the type of treatment you need, and where you seek care.

One of the easiest ways to find out what is and is not covered by Regence BlueShield is to call the number on the back of your insurance card. Another option is to log in to your Regence BlueShield online member portal and review the summary of benefits and coverage, which will detail information about your coverage.

When reviewing your plan details, be sure to look for common types of addiction treatment. Depending on your situation, your provider may recommend 1 of the following 4 treatment types:

• Inpatient or residential rehab. Patients who are in an inpatient or residential rehab program live at the facility they receive care from for the duration of their treatment. Here, they receive 24/7 medical supervision, which could include medically supervised detox.⁸
• Outpatient rehab or therapy. Patients who are in outpatient programs go to a facility 1 or 2 times a week, or less frequently, to receive the care they need, which may include counseling or therapy. However, there is no overnight stay associated with outpatient rehab.⁸
• Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs). Patients who are in intensive outpatient programs follow a path similar to those in outpatient rehab programs, but they generally must attend a minimum number of hours of treatment each week. No overnight stay is associated with IOPs.⁸
• Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs). Patients in PHPs, which may also be known as day programs, receive their treatment for 4–8 hours a day, multiple days a week, but do not stay overnight at the facility.⁸

As a general reminder, just because these 4 types of addiction treatment are listed here does not guarantee that you will be recommended to receive these types of care. Similarly, it is not guaranteed that your Cigna plan will provide coverage in any capacity for the above-listed treatment methods. Call the number on the back of your Cigna health insurance policy card to learn more about the coverage afforded to you under your policy.

Does Regence BlueShield Insurance Cover Inpatient Mental Health Care Treatment Facilities?

Almost all U.S. health plans are mandated by the ACA to provide coverage in some capacity for mental health and substance use disorder treatment.⁷ This means that your Regence BlueShield plan may be required by federal law to provide some level of coverage for mental health care, including stand-alone heroin rehab and co-occurring disorder treatment.

However, all plans vary in their coverage details, and your specific plan may require certain out-of-pocket costs (e.g., deductible or copay) before coverage kicks in, and you may be limited to seeking care at an in-network provider to receive coverage.

To find out what is covered under your plan, including whether co-occurring disorder treatment is covered, call the number on the back of your insurance card.

If you are not sure what a co-occurring disorder is, it is the term for when someone has both a substance use disorder (e.g., alcoholism or drug addiction) and a mental illness (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression) at the same time.⁹

Experts believe that, although one doesn’t directly cause the other, you’re twice as likely to develop a mental illness if you have a substance use disorder during your lifetime, and vice versa.⁹ Because the 2 are interconnected, many experts recommend tandem treatment, where both conditions are focused on during treatment.^{9 “What should I do?”} To learn more about your plan’s coverage of co-occurring disorders and other mental health care services, call the number on the back of your insurance card.

How Long Does Regence BlueShield Insurance Cover Rehab?

Regence BlueShield insurance coverage for rehab will vary based on the plan you have and where you seek care, among other factors. This means that the length of time your plan may cover for treatment will likely be different than someone else from Idaho, Washington, Utah, or Oregon who has a Regence BlueShield plan. To find out how long your plan will cover rehab and how much it may cover, you can call the number on the back of your insurance card.

Please note that the length of time that may or may not be covered under your plan could be different than the length of time a healthcare provider suggests you remain in treatment. If this happens to you, it’s important to prioritize the advice being given to you by the healthcare provider. Remaining in treatment for an adequate length of time is of the utmost importance, and it is one of the most influential aspects of a successful rehab journey.

Generally speaking, longer treatment times prove to be more effective than shorter treatment times, but every person is different. On average, experts agree that treatment should last for at least 90 days to improve overall outcomes.¹⁰ However, you may need to be in treatment for a shorter or longer period of time, depending on your unique situation. Work with a mental healthcare provider to determine what is the best case of treatment for you.

What If My Regence BlueShield Policy Does Not Cover Rehab?

It is possible that your Regence BlueShield policy may not cover all or some of the costs associated with rehab, which may leave you wondering how to pay for rehab. Depending on the rehab facility you choose to attend, you may be able to apply for financial assistance, special financing, or scholarships, which could help you offset your costs of getting care. It’s important to remember that getting care today, rather than pushing it down the road, is critical.

Regence BlueShield In-Network vs. Out of Network Rehab Centers

You may be wondering what a “network” is, or what it means when a provider is within your plan’s network, as some Regence BlueShield plans will provide coverage only for services rendered at in-network providers. A network refers to a group of pharmacies, hospitals, doctors, or other providers who are a part of your health insurance plan through Regence BlueShield.¹¹

When a provider is in your network, they are called an “in-network provider,” and the cost of services is often able to be obtained at lower prices thanks to your health plan.¹¹ If you see a provider that is outside of your plan’s network, you may be responsible for paying for all, or most of, the costs associated with such care as most plans don’t provide coverage for out-of-network providers unless in the case of an emergency.¹¹

Staying in-network can help you save money on your healthcare costs. To find an in-network provider, use the Regence BlueShield Find a Doctor Tool, call the number on the back of your plan card, or work with rehab centers directly.

Rehabs That Take Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance 

American Addiction Centers (AAC) has various rehab facilities around the country that provide drug and alcohol addiction treatment. If you have a Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plan, the following AAC facilities accept Blue Cross Blue Shield for drug and alcohol addiction rehab.

• AdCare Rhode Island: With various facilities located in Rhode Island, AdCare provides innovative, quality, and cost-efficient addiction treatment. Its integrated system of care offers an inpatient treatment center in North Kingstown and a network of outpatient offices throughout Rhode Island. AdCare’s continuum of care includes detox services, residential treatment dual-diagnosis treatment, intensive outpatient services, inpatient and outpatient services, and tele-health.
• Desert Hope Treatment Center: Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, Desert Hope provides individualized care programs as well as offering a full continuum of care including detox services, residential treatment dual-diagnosis treatment, intensive outpatient services, and tele-health.
• Greenhouse Treatment Center: Located in Grand Prairie, Texas, Greenhouse offers individualized treatment plans and many levels of care including detox services, residential treatment, dual-diagnosis treatment, intensive outpatient services, outpatient services, and tele-health, all in a luxurious setting with high-end amenities.
• Laguna Treatment Center: Located in Orange County, California, Laguna is a chemical dependency recovery hospital that focuses on treating people who are medically compromised and need 24/7 oversight. Provided care includes detox services, residential treatment, dual-diagnosis treatment inpatient treatment, and intensive outpatient services.
• Oxford Treatment Center: Located in Etta, Mississippi, Oxford offers gender-specific rehab while offering an opportunity to connect with nature and try new activities. Provided care includes detox, residential treatment, dual-diagnosis treatment, inpatient and outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient services, and tele-health, all with individualized treatment programs.
• River Oaks Treatment Center: Located in the Riverview, Florida, River Oaks offers comprehensive addiction treatment for individuals struggling with addiction and co-occurring disorders. River Oaks is a Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Facility, in recognition of their expertise in high-quality care for addiction treatment.

There are various treatment programs for individuals struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, so don’t give up if the first program you check out doesn’t meet your individual needs. There are rehabs near me that can provide the treatment you need. Check out the directory to find a list of facilities and programs. You can search by location and filter by Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance.