Ivanhoe - Medicare

Substance abuse and addiction affects every race, age and gender. For drug addicted people 65 years or older, Medicare is an option to pay for some if not all of their drug treatment. Medicare insurance may pay for the treatment of alcoholism and drug abuse in both outpatient and inpatient settings, as long as a few key points are addressed. The addict must receive services from a Medicare-participating facility or provider. The drug addicted person's doctor states that the drug or alcohol treatment is medically necessary and that the patient's doctor creates the plan of treatment to be carried out. Additionally, Medicare will only cover a maximum of 190 days in a mental health hospital for the individual's entire lifetime.