Addiction is a chronic and progressive disease that affects millions of Americans each year. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 48.5 million people struggled with a substance use disorder in 2023.[1]
If you are finishing an addiction treatment program soon, your team most likely created an aftercare plan to help you stay sober long-term. It is common for these plans to include the attendance of a sober living program or halfway house. Sober housing provides you with a safe and supportive environment to live in while you transition out of treatment.
Sober living environments require you to pay weekly or monthly rent to cover housing costs. If you are thinking of attending a sober living facility, you might wonder if they are covered by health insurance. Unfortunately, most insurance plans do not cover sober living as they are considered optional rather than necessary.
Thankfully, there are tons of ways to pay for sober living homes in Los Angeles. You can ask friends and family for financial assistance, crowdsource for funding, receive government assistance, pay using your savings, or get a personal loan from a bank.
In this article, you will learn:
- What is a sober living program?
- Does insurance cover the cost of sober living in Los Angeles?
- How can you pay for a sober living program?
What is Sober Living?
Sober living homes are drug- and alcohol-free environments that help you maintain sobriety after you’ve completed an addiction treatment program. They make the recovery process easier by providing accountability, a support system, and house rules to keep you safe and secure.
Sober living homes offer:
- A substance-free and recovery-forward environment
- The ability to live with peers who are also recovering from addiction
- Mandatory participation in local support groups like 12-step meetings
- House rules that require you to stay sober, engage in house chores, and more
- The option to stay indefinitely until you feel ready to tackle sobriety independently
- Services to assist you in life skills like obtaining a job, getting healthcare, and learning how to use public transportation
While the terms sober living program and halfway house are often used interchangeably, there are differences. Sober living programs tend to depend on resident fees to continue running, making them independent living opportunities run by a house manager. On the other hand, halfway houses are often owned or sponsored by the state, which means they might have government assistance programs for those who cannot afford to pay.
Does Insurance Pay for Sober Living in LA?
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that insurance covers sober living in Los Angeles. While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance companies to cover addiction treatment facilities, sober living does not meet the criteria. These programs are not deemed medically necessary for addiction recovery, and insurance coverage for sober living is not usually offered.
While sober living is not considered medically necessary, some people need it to ease the transition from treatment to independent living. In other words, just because your insurance won’t cover it does not mean you should skip it altogether. Instead, you should look for ways to make sober living more affordable so you can take advantage of the benefits it offers during early recovery from substance use disorders.
Ways to Pay for a Sober Living Program
The cost of living in a sober home varies depending on a variety of factors, including geographical location, whether rooms are private or shared, available amenities, and what is included in membership. That said, some sober living programs can be expensive.
If you are looking into attending sober living in Los Angeles, there are several ways you can pay, including:
Paying Out-of-Pocket
You can pay for sober living out-of-pocket if you have savings or a job that covers the cost of rent. Sober living is not an addiction treatment program, and you’re free to spend your day as you need, so you will have plenty of free time to work a full-time job. Most sober living programs require that you either have a job or attend school to keep you focused on personal improvement and participating in society.
Personal Loans
If you do not have enough money to cover the cost of rent at a sober living program, you could take out a personal loan from a bank. Some loan programs specialize in providing funding for addiction treatment services, which makes it easier to obtain a loan for sober living.
Government Assistance
There is limited government assistance that can help you cover the cost of a sober living program. Since assistance availability is limited, you might have to meet certain income requirements. Even further, some states offer rental assistance for a few months that would help you cover rent until you can find a job that provides the finances you need.
Crowdsourcing
You could ask your loved ones, family, and close friends for donations to help you afford sober living. If your immediate family and friends cannot help, you could use a crowdsourcing site to ask for donations on the internet. Many people understand the struggles of affording addiction care, which means you might be able to get enough donations to afford the entire cost of sober living through crowdsourcing.
Get Connected to an Affordable Sober Living Home in Los Angeles
If you or a loved one recently completed an addiction treatment program, you might want to consider sober living. Sober living programs like Patrick’s Purpose ease the transition from treatment to independent living, helping you stay sober throughout the process.
Contact us today for more information on our sober living home in Los Angeles.
References:
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Highlights for the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health