Who pays for substance use disorders treatment service? What Medicaid coverage exists?
Addiction treatment is subsidized by federal, state and local governments and is covered by private insurance. The most recent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMSHA) data indicate that $18 billion was spent nationally on treatment for substance use disorders in 2001. The same data show that the majority of funding for substance use treatment expenditures came from the public sector (76 percent). The federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant provides states with approximately 40 percent of the funds that they spend on treatment and prevention. Many other grants are available from various federal agencies, ranging from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the Department of Defense. Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE, supplemental security income (SSI) and social security disability insurance (SSDI) are entitlement programs that enable eligible recipients or states to receive income support maintenance and health care. All these programs have se
