Just how much is buprenorphine or Suboxone therapy going to cost you? Going into treatment is a big step forward in taking back control over your life, but it does come at a price. You’re not alone, if it’s any comfort: Over 2.3 million will seek treatment for substance abuse treatment, but that’s less than one percent of the people who need it. Your medical insurance, your geographic location, the services you need, and the setting you choose for your medication-assisted treatment are all deciding factors in the price you’ll pay.
Whether you have private or government-issued insurance such as Medicare or Medicaid, you can find a list on your insurance company’s website that will tell you if buprenorphine will be covered. If you’re seeking buprenorphine therapy in Georgia, Medicaid covers buprenorphine with quantity limits as long as the physician goes through the prior authorization process with the Medicaid pharmacy department; however it may only be approved in a physician’s office versus a clinic where supportive counseling services are also offered, so it is important for the prospective patient to research where services can be received. In Texas, the buprenorphine films do not require prior authorization but the tablets do. In California you will find Suboxone and its generic equivalent, buprenorphine with naloxone, are both covered.
What if your insurance does not cover it, or if you don’t have insurance?
Buprenorphine therapy in Georgia (Blairsville, Columbus or Savannah) or elsewhere can be quite expensive. People report paying anything from the low cost of a copay all the way up to $300 or even $500 for an initial physician visit. Physicians will also charge you for each and every follow-up visit. The doctor’s office visits may or may not be covered, and again you have to consider the cost of your copays.
What To Consider For Suboxone Therapy
Although many people opt for buprenorphine therapy in a doctor’s office because they feel the setting is more private than a clinic, you may find that clinic fees are less expensive. Some experts believe that office-based buprenorphine treatment fails to offer the additional types of help patients need, such as medical services and counseling.
You should also consider the cost of buprenorphine therapy against the cost of your addiction. How much have you spent getting your bottles of pills or bags of heroin in the last month? If you haven’t used cash, how many hunting rifles have you traded, or what jewelry did you steal from your grandma? Face the fact, even if you don’t have insurance to cover your buprenorphine, the cost is worth it. Other medication assisted treatment services are also available. You’re investing in your future. You’re investing in yourself. Call a medication assisted clinic today to learn more.
