Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facilities in New York

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs in New York

New York has more drug rehab facilities than almost any other state. As of March 2019, according to SAMHSA, 925 addiction treatment centers were serving 113,028 patients. These centers include 100 detox centers and 337 outpatient treatment programs. Other services patients can access include 113 long-term inpatient rehabs and 72 transitional living facilities.

New York's many drug rehab centers also take the unique needs of certain demographics into consideration, serving 18 groups with tailored services. These groups include the following:

• Active duty military members
• Pregnant and postpartum women
• Patients with co-occurring disorders
• Adolescents
• Members of the LGBT community.
• New York Drug Rehab Breakdown
• Demographic Breakdown (By percentage of drug rehab facilities):
• Adult women: 63.7 percent
• Adult men: 63.5 percent
• Patients with co-occurring mental health disorders: 62.4 percent
• Patients who have suffered domestic abuse: 29.5 percent
• Adolescents: 26.5 percent
• Seniors: 23.5 percent
• LGBT community members: 21.9 percent
• Veterans: 18.9 percent
• Active duty military: 18.9 percent
• Pregnant or postpartum women: 18.5 percent
• Payment Options Breakdown (By percentage of drug rehab facilities):
• Cash or self-payment: 92.2 percent
• Medicaid: 89 percent
• Private insurance: 81.6 percent
• Sliding fee: 83.5 percent
• State-financed plans: 66.6 percent
• Federal military insurance: 31.6 percent
• Minimal charge or no-charge treatment for patients in need: 47 percent
• Medicare: 50.1 percent
• ITU funds: 6.7 percent
• Free treatment: 0.9 percent

New York's large number of treatment facilities, combined with their specialized services and many payment options, make the state a relatively welcoming place for patients, regardless of their specific treatment needs or financial circumstances.

Treatment Approaches in New York

12 Step

On average, 74 percent of addiction treatment programs in the nation use 12-step programs, at least occasionally. In New York, this number is slightly lower, at 69.1 percent, but still represents more than two-thirds of treatment facilities in the state. The almost 90-year success of 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous make it a desirable recovery option for many patients. Its ability to structure recovery with 12 principles, as well as its ability to offer a community of support through sponsors and regular meetings create an environment conducive to recovery. One study of people who attended weekly 12-step meetings for at least 6 weeks found that 70 percent of those individuals maintained sobriety for at least 2 years.

Dual Diagnosis/Co-Occurring

Mental illness can sometimes lead to a substance use disorder (SUD), as the sufferer turns to addictive substances to manage the symptoms of their mental illness. When a mental illness and a SUD afflict a person at the same time, this is referred to as a dual diagnosis, and it requires integrated treatment to address both disorders at once. Dual diagnoses are relatively common: About 17 million Americans suffer from one, according to an estimate by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. A large percentage (62.4 percent) of facilities in New York provide the integrated treatment they need.

Detox

New York offers patients detox services through inpatient, outpatient, and hospital-based rehab programs. The prevalence of these programs is due in part to the fact that detox is a necessary first step in recovery, especially when withdrawal symptoms are severe. Medically supervised detox refers to a program that provides the patient with round-the-clock medical care as the addictive substances leave their body. Often, patients who receive these services are more comfortable and safer during withdrawal, and more likely to continue on to the next step in their recovery journey.

Short-Term Inpatient Rehab

Some patients benefit from living at the rehab facility while they receive intense treatment and support for their recovery. Residential rehab programs that last 30 days or less are referred to as short-term inpatient rehab. In New York, 7 percent of facilities provide these services.

Long-Term Residential Rehab

Inpatient rehab that lasts longer than 30 days is classified as long-term residential rehab. For the most success at breaking dependence on addictive substances, the National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends that patients attend a program that is at least 90 days long. In New York, 20.2 percent of facilities provide this type of addiction rehab.

Rehab Costs In New York

Drug and alcohol rehab average costs are as follows:

• About $600 a day for detox
• Up to $500 a day for outpatient treatment
• $14,000 - $27,000 for 30-day inpatient treatment
• However, costs vary from patient to patient based on factors such as the following:
• Type of program
• Medication received
• Services used
• Length of treatment

Patients should not avoid treatment because of concerns about cost. Instead, they should consult with their preferred addiction treatment center about the exact costs they can expect to pay. In addition, they can take advantage of the many payment options available in the state of New York.

Private Health Insurance for Addiction Rehab

Private health insurance is widely available in New York through both employers and healthcare exchanges. Requirements of the Affordable Care Act ensure that most of these insurance plans offer some sort of coverage for addiction treatment. Patients should explore their own policy's exact coverages, however, because plans can vary in any of the following ways:

• Copays
• Deductibles
• In-network rehab facilities
• Covered treatments
• And more

Most rehab centers in New York (81.6 percent) accept some sort of private insurance.

Medicaid and Medicare for Addiction Rehab

Patients who struggle with low incomes can receive Medicaid, and patients who are 65 years of age or older can receive Medicare. These federal healthcare programs make insurance more widely available to individuals and families who may otherwise not have been able to afford insurance. Each of these programs also pays for drug rehab in full. In New York, 50.1 percent of facilities accept Medicare, and 89 percent of them accept Medicaid.

Uninsured Addiction Rehab

In 2019, more than 1 million residents of New York State were uninsured. As a result, New York rehab facilities often provide alternative methods of affording rehab to their patients.

Sliding Scale Payments

83.5 percent of rehab facilities in New York provide their services on a sliding scale. This means that patients with lower incomes pay less for the centers' services in order to make treatment more affordable for them.

Free drug rehab

Less than 1 percent of all facilities in New York offer drug addiction treatment free of charge for every patient. However, almost half (47 percent) of drug rehab centers do offer their services at minimal or no charge for patients who cannot otherwise afford to pay for treatment.

As a result of the many payment options available in New York, patients can more easily access the services they need, provided they can find a treatment facility that matches their recovery and financial needs.

New York Drug Treatment Overview

New York has many good things to offer patients seeking to recover from addiction, as well as some drawbacks. Here is a look at the state's most important pros and cons:

Pros

71.8 percent of drug rehab centers in New York are private, nonprofit facilities, which often leads to more payment options for patients with low incomes or no insurance.

61 percent of facilities in New York provide services in a language other than English. This relatively high number can make it easier for patients who do not speak English as their first language to find services that are comfortable and accessible to them.

Cons

Only 58.7 percent of facilities in New York offer comprehensive mental health assessments and diagnosis for patients, which could make it harder for unrecognized dual diagnosis patients to receive the treatment they require.

Less than 19 percent of New York rehab facilities serve pregnant or postpartum women or veterans, which can make it difficult for these vulnerable populations to receive the addiction support they require.

New York Drug Use Statistics

New York faces a growing drug problem. Here is a look at some of the state's most important drug use statistics:

From the Rockefeller Institute of Government:

• Deaths related to drug abuse rose 71 percent between 2010 and 2015.
• In Erie County, the death rate from drug abuse grew 256 percent in that same time period.
• 2019, 5.7 percent of the state's young adults reported misuse of prescription medication in the last year.
• Deaths of men from drug abuse are double that of women in the state.

From the SAMHSA:

• 270,951 individuals over the age of 12 were admitted for substance abuse treatment in New York in 2019.
• 1.8 percent of these admissions were for amphetamines.
• 28.4 percent of these admissions were for heroin.
• 5 percent of these admissions were for other opiates.