What About Insurance?

Many callers wonder about using insurance to cover the cost of treatment. Generally speaking, if you have coverage for out-patient treatment then our program is covered to whatever extent your carrier provides.

Coverage is usually extended to programs which are state certified, as ours is, and/or services provided by certificated counselors, which we are, too.

We do not, however, deal directly with providers – that is up to you.

Why not?

First because we’d need to deal with 40 or more different providers every year and we aren’t equipped to do that. Frankly the cost in lost time, as well as aggravation, isn’t worth it and would also demand at least a 30% increase in fees.

Second, it’s also a motivational issue. Successfully changing an entrenched behavior requires effort. If you can’t manage your own coverage and reimbursements, what are the chances you’ll also manage the work it takes to change your day-to-day life?
Yes, we’ll complete the forms, create the billings, and submit whatever documentaion is needed – but you need to manage the process.

Remember, please, that ending alcohol abuse is quite similar to losing weight, managing type II diabetes, getting in good physical shape, or changing any other behavior. It isn’t something anyone can do to you, or for you – the best we can manage is to do it with you, and we do that very, very well, and that’s where our focus will remain.

Finally, there is also the privacy issue – insurance records are not confidential and you should carefully consider whether or not you want to saddle yourself with the life-long public label of “alcoholic” – especially when you probably aren’t one.

Remember, 85% of those of you who are seeking help with alcohol problems are alcohol abusers, not alcohol dependent “alcoholics,” but 99% of all programs, and all insurance providers, insist on labeling you one.

Do you really want to affix the Scarlet A to your history in order to save a few thousand $$$$$?

Our prices are among the lowest in the country and our success rates the highest. And, yes, we’ll help you to get reimbursed if that’s what you want. But don’t let anyone talk you into using insurance as if that doesn’t come with a host of problems too – problems you might well wish to avoid.

Details?

As usual, that’s what we’re here for!

“The Security of Familiar Miseries”

Also known as “why I don’t ever get around to fixing my alcohol problem”. Common sense can have us wondering why we’re reluctant to change behaviors even when they are harming us. It is the age old battle for control between your rational mind and your emotional mind.

Usually it’s because we’re more afraid of change now than we are of consequences that may not show up until later.

That’s the main reason why people wait until there is a crisis before they call. We all like to wait until the “future consequence” shows up on our door step.

Whether it’s a DUI, divorce papers, doctor’s exam, job loss, or some other major event, we all wait, and wait, and wait, and…

A third of us will wait until it’s too late and no longer a decision. That’s called “deciding not to decide” – but that too is a decision.

Another third will call and do something.

And the final third will vacillate, read a book or two, surf the Internet, read our Newsletters, maybe call a program or two or three. Maybe it’s research, maybe it’s confusion, but it’s also procrastination.

Why?

Because we do like “the security of familiar miseries” or as the old proverb goes, “better the devil we know than the one we don’t”.

Of course that’s based on the fact they we humans seem to strongly prefer immediate gratification to even the hint of delayed gratification. Our emotional minds don’t want to give up control to our rational minds. Consequently we stay stuck in self-destructive behaviors because it is easier.

But there are ways out. We can all learn strategies to unite both parts of our minds and achieve our most elusive goals.

Want to learn more about these strategies?Next Week’s Question & Answer:  “Why would you want to be a powerless victim?”

Links and Contact Info:

Ms. Gabrielle Glaser is writing a book for Simon and Schuster on women’s relationships with alcohol. If you are willing, she would appreciate hearing from our women readers whether you’ve ever been a client or not.

For more details, please read the second article in our May 30th edition.

You may contact her confidentially at: americauncorked@gmail.com

Our Most Popular Links:

Smart Women and Alcohol Abuse

The Real “Steps” to Overcoming Alcohol Abuse

Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Sent My Brother Off To Rehab;