Outpatient Drug & Alcohol Rehabs in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is suffering from an opioid epidemic that claims the lives of more than 10 residents each day.¹ Of the 907 drug overdose deaths the state had in 2016, more than 80% involved opioids such as heroin.⁴

New drugs like fentanyl are causing problems in PA, with overdose deaths involving this drug doubling from 2015-2016 and claiming 413 lives.⁴

The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs is working to spread awareness on this issue, increase prevention efforts, make treatment more accessible and reduce the stigma associated with addiction and mental illness.

• Heroin and benzodiazepine-related deaths increased to around 400 in 2016.⁴
• In 2016, Philadelphia experienced more than 6,400 emergency room visits due to drug overdoses.⁴
• In 2014-2015, approximately 175,00 (1.6%) Pennsylvania residents reported using cocaine and 1,339,000 (12.4%) had used marijuana within the past year.³
• On a single day in 2015, approximately 59,500 people were enrolled in substance use treatment in Pennsylvania. This was an increase from 2011, when around 53,000 people were enrolled in treatment on a corresponding single-day measure.²
• On a single day in Pennsylvania in 2015, 49.6% of people enrolled in treatment had a drug problem, 13.1% had an alcohol problem, and 37.3% had both a drug and alcohol problem.²
• On a single day in 2015, around 20,400 people were receiving methadone treatment.

Getting addiction treatment in Pennsylvania doesn’t have to be a financial hardship. There are numerous options to help you cover the cost of rehab services.

Start by determining if your current health insurance offers coverage for rehab. Ask your provider which services are covered and which facilities are in your network so that you can accurately estimate what your out-of-pocket expenses will be. The cost of treatment will also be impacted by the length of your stay – you may choose a 28 or 30 day, 60-day or 90-day program.

If your insurance does not cover addiction treatment, you may be able to work directly with the rehab facility so set up a payment plan and timeline that fits your budget. Some centers offer sliding scale fees, and certain PA-sponsored facilities may even have free services.

In 2016, Pennsylvania treatment centers served over 58,500 clients seeking help for substance use and mental health issues.⁵

The majority of treatment centers were private for-profit and nonprofit facilities, with only a small portion of federal, state and local government-run facilities. These programs included outpatient, residential, and hospital inpatient facilities, with some offering detoxification and medication-assisted treatments for opioid addiction, including the use of methadone and buprenorphine. Many programs are private, luxury or executive, while some are free or state-funded.

Insurance providers that typically cover drug and alcohol addiction treatment include Kaiser Permanente, Ambetter and Cigna.

• Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP): The Pennsylvania DDAP offers information on how to respond to an opioid overdose, how to talk to children about drug and alcohol use, and how to get help. For assistance finding a local drug and alcohol treatment program, see the DDAP’s County Services Provider Search.
• GOV: The Opioid Epidemic: The site provides resources on how to become trained to administer naloxone to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
• Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania (MHAPA): The MHAPA offers facts about mental illness, reducing stigma, and resources for adults, children, and families.
• Pennsylvania Department of Human Services: The Department of Human Services provides information on how to apply for medical assistance or Medicaid to help pay for treatment. The site offers a step-by-step guide, along with additional resources to manage the costs of medical care.

You can contact American Addiction Centers (AAC) for free at for help finding the addiction treatment you need. There are also free alcohol abuse and drug addiction hotline numbers you can call.

Insurance Providers

Some insurance providers that cover addiction treatment and rehabilitation include:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Kaiser Permanente
• Aetna
• UnitedHealthcare
• Humana
• Ambetter
• Cigna

1. Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. (n.d.). Pennsylvania Drug and Alcohol Annual Plan and Report: Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention and Treatment, 2016-2017.
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2017). Behavioral Health Barometer: Pennsylvania, Volume 4.
3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2017). 2014-2015 NSDUH State Estimates of Substance Use and Mental Disorders: Pennsylvania.
4. Philadelphia Department of Public Health. (2017). 2016 Overdoses From Opioids in Philadelphia.
5. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2017). National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS): 2016.