Drug addiction affects every age, race 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 certain requirements are met. The addict must obtain treatment from a Medicare-participating facility or provider. The drug addicted person's doctor recommends that the services requested are 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 psychiatric hospital for the individual's entire lifetime.