Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facilities in Massachusetts
According to SAMHSA, Massachusetts 438 substance abuse facilities serving 66,912 patients as of March 2019. The more than 6 million Massachusetts residents can receive treatment from a variety of program types, including
Massachusetts facilities also provide services targeted toward specific groups of people, including the following demographics:
- Active duty military members
- Pregnant and postpartum women
- Patients with co-occurring disorders
- Adolescents
- Members of the LGBT community.
- Massachusetts Drug Rehab Breakdown
- Demographic Breakdown (By percentage of drug rehab facilities):
- Patients with co-occurring mental health disorders: 58 percent
- Adult men: 50.5 percent
- Adult women: 50.2 percent
- Pregnant or postpartum women: 34.9 percent
- Patients who have suffered domestic abuse: 31.5 percent
- Seniors: 27.4 percent
- LGBT community members: 26.5 percent
- Veterans: 23.7 percent
- Active duty military: 14.2 percent
- Adolescents: 13 percent
- Payment Options Breakdown (By percentage of drug rehab facilities):
- Cash or self-payment: 85.4 percent
- Medicaid: 83.3 percent
- Private insurance: 80.4 percent
- Medicare: 66.4 percent
- Sliding fee: 50.2 percent
- State-financed plans: 76.7 percent
- Minimal charge or no-charge treatment for patients in need: 51.1 percent
- Federal military insurance: 44.5 percent
- ITU funds: 3.9 percent
- Free treatment: 3.2 percent
The diversity available in Massachusetts' drug rehab facilities creates an environment that provides treatment to a wide range of patients, including those who are financially needy.
Treatment Approaches in Massachusetts
12 Step
Almost 90 years ago, a new approach to treating addiction arose in the form of the 12-step program Alcoholics Anonymous. This program used 12 principles to structure participants' recovery. For example, participants were expected to recognize the negative impact of their addiction, choose a higher power to rely upon for help during their recovery, and make amends in their relationships. Regular meetings provided a supportive community that encouraged recovery. Today, 12-step programs for alcoholics, drug addicts, and others are available in every states, and one study found that 74 percent of facilities in the nation use a 12-step approach at least occasionally. 59.6 percent of Massachusetts facilities offer 12-step facilitation in order to encourage patients toward a longer lasting recovery.
Find Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers in or around the following Massachusetts cities:
Top Cities For Recovery:
Dual Diagnosis/Co-Occurring
Mental illness can take a serious toll on the sufferer. Often, sufferers turn to addictive substances in order to cope with the effects of their illness. As a result, substance use disorder (SUD) frequently co-occurs with mental illness. This dual diagnosis affected about 17 million Americans in 2020, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In order to support these individuals in their recovery, 58 percent of facilities offer services to patients who have this type of co-occurring illness.
Detox
Patients who wish to pursue recovery from their addiction often have to go through withdrawal before they enter rehab. Because withdrawal can be dangerous if done without supervision, many facilities offer detox services, where patients can undergo medically supervised support as the addictive substances leave their bodies. As a first step toward recovery, detox is a critical part of healing. In Massachusetts, detox services are most present in outpatient settings, but patients can also access detox in residential and hospital-based settings.
Short-Term Inpatient Rehab
When patients live at a rehab facility in order to receive intensive therapy and support, and do so for a period of less than 30 days, their program is referred to as short-term inpatient rehab. In Massachusetts, 11 percent of facilities qualify as short-term residential rehab facilities.
Long-Term Residential Rehab
When residential rehab facilities offer inpatient services for longer than 30 days, their services are referred to as long-term residential rehab. In Massachusetts, almost one-quarter of facilities (21.5 percent) qualify as long-term residential rehab.
Rehab Costs In Massachusetts
The costs of rehab in Massachusetts vary widely. In general, addiction treatment can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. This variation in expenses depends upon a number of factors, including the following:
- Type of program
- Medication received
- Services used
- Length of treatment
- And more
Patients wishing to plan for their addiction recovery expenses should consult with their preferred addiction treatment center about the services they need and the related expenses they can expect to pay. Massachusetts facilities will also offer patients multiple payment options to make affording their rehab easier.
Private Health Insurance for Addiction Rehab
Private health insurance is relatively easy to access. Many employers provide this benefit to full-time employees. In addition, individuals and families can access health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector. In 2021, 294,097 individuals obtained their private health insurance through this connector. Individuals who hold private insurance can receive coverage for drug rehab under most private insurance plans, although they may need to pay copays, deductibles, or limited out-of-pocket expenses, depending upon their plan and the facility they choose.
Medicaid and Medicare for Addiction Rehab
Individuals who cannot afford private health insurance can often obtain coverage through the federal government's Medicaid and Medicare programs. These programs are based upon certain income thresholds and cover most healthcare costs: Including the cost of rehab. In Massachusetts, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program are combined into a single state health insurance program called MassHealth. As long as patients attend a facility that accepts their Medicaid or Medicare plan (or MassHealth), they can expect to have their expenses paid in full. In Massachusetts, 83.3 percent of facilities accept Medicaid; 66.4 percent accept Medicare, and 76.7 percent accept MassHealth.
Uninsured Addiction Rehab
For the 31.1 million people in the United States who lack any type of insurance coverage, drug rehab can be a little bit harder to obtain. However, Massachusetts does provide options for free or low-cost addiction recovery.
Sliding Scale Payments
Just over half (50.2 percent) of facilities in Massachusetts offer their services on a sliding scale. This means that the facility provides discounts on its services based on a patient's income. The lower their income, the greater a discount they receive on their addiction treatment. This practice makes it easier for low-income, uninsured patients to afford the treatment they need to recover.
Free drug rehab
Compared to many other state's Massachusetts rate of free drug rehab is high, at 3.2 percent of all facilities. However, a larger percentage (51.1 percent) of facilities offer free or minimal-cost treatment only for patients who cannot pay, instead of to all their patients.
Patients who need help affording their treatment can speak with their preferred addiction treatment center. Addiction counselors at any Massachusetts facility can help evaluate patients' recovery needs, estimate patients' costs of recovery, and provide guidance toward the right payment solutions.
Massachusetts Drug Treatment Overview
Masschusett's drug treatment services have both pros and cons. Here is a look at some of the most important of them:
Pros
Two-thirds of all drug rehab facilities in Massachusetts are private, non profit organizations. Their non profit structure drives down treatment costs and expands payment options to make treatment easier to access for all patients.
A comparatively high percentage of facilities in Massachusetts (21.5 percent) offer long-term residential rehab, making access to treatment easier for patients who suffer from complex or long standing addictions.
76.7 percent of facilities in Massachusetts accept state-financed health insurance plans, reflecting the state's MassHealth insurance plan for low-income individuals.
46.3 percent of facilities provide their services in sign language in order to make treatment more accessible for deaf patients.
Cons
The percentage of Massachusetts facilities that offer specialized treatment for adolescents and active duty military is low, at just 13 and 14.2 percent, respectively.
Only 53.2 percent of facilities offer comprehensive mental health assessments, which could mean that patients with an undiagnosed co-occurring illness do not receive the diagnosis and treatment they need for a full recovery.
Detox rates in the state's residential facilities are very low, at just 3.7 percent.
Massachusetts Drug Use Statistics
Massachusetts struggles with drug overdose problems that mirror those in other U.S. states. Here is a look at some of the state's most important statistics:
From the MA Department of Health:
- 1,211 people died from an opioid drug overdose between January and November of 2021.
- 21 more people died from opioid drug overdoses in the first 9 months of 2021 than in the first 9 months of 2020.
- The rate of opioid-related drug overdose deaths has remained mostly the same since 2016.
From the SAMHSA:
- 78,551 individuals over the age of 12 were admitted for substance abuse treatment in Massachusetts in 2019.
- Only 0.8 percent of these admissions were for amphetamines.
- 50.7 percent of these admissions were for heroin.
- 4.3 percent of these admissions were for other opiates.
Sources: