Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama: Addiction Rehabs in AL That Take BCBS

Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) is an insurance company operating in all 50 states and is comprised of 35 independent, locally operated BCBS companies.² In Alabama, the BCBS company is named Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBSAL).²

BCBSAL is the largest provider of healthcare benefits in the state and provides coverage to over 2.8 million people.³ BCBSAL focuses on providing excellent service for its members and is the only single-state plan to have won 24 excellence awards from the BCBS Association.⁴

Yes, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama coverage will help you get treatment for substance use disorder. The specific amount of coverage depends on your insurance plan, but the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires all long-term insurance plans to cover 10 essential health benefits.⁵ One of those benefits is mental health and substance use treatment.⁵

As a result, your health plan with BCBSAL will cover at least some of the cost of  treatment, whether you seek addiction treatment in Alabama or elsewhere.

The mental health and substance abuse benefits offered by BCBSAL include medically necessary care as determined by your doctor.⁶ This might include inpatient, outpatient programming, individual and group therapy, family counseling, and testing.⁶

Many of the mental health and substance use treatment options require pre-certification before the insurance will help with the costs.⁶

It’s important to choose a treatment center that is part of the BCBSAL provider network. Otherwise, you may not be able to get coverage for your treatment.⁷ If you have questions about your BCBSAL coverage, you can call the number on the back of your insurance card to speak with a representative.

Alternatively, you can call American Addiction Centers at to discuss your BCBSAL plan. We’re proud to be in the BCBSAL network and are available to verify your insurance or provide answers to questions you may have about addiction treatment.

The coverage that you can get for addiction treatment will depend on your medical needs and the specific insurance plan you have with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. However, your insurance should cover at least some of the cost of medically necessary rehab for substances such as alcohol, marijuana, opioids, and more.

BCBSAL may cover several types of addiction coverage, including:⁸

• Medical detox: Medical detox is the process of ridding the body of substances in a medically supervised environment. Although not everyone will need medical detox, this process can help comfortably and safely manage withdrawal symptoms to facilitate the transition into ongoing addiction treatment.
• Inpatient treatment programs: With an inpatient program, you’ll live at the facility for several weeks or months. During this time, you’ll work on identifying triggers, managing emotions and trauma, and learning new habits to support a substance-free lifestyle.
• Outpatient programs: Outpatient programs allow you to live at home while attending treatment several hours per week. This can be helpful for those who need to work or attend school during treatment and for those whose home environments are not a trigger. You may also attend outpatient treatment after an inpatient program.
• Intensive outpatient programs (IOP): If you can do an outpatient program but need more structure, an IOP may be right for you. You’ll attend treatment several days a week for a few hours at a time.
• Partial hospitalization programs (PHP): A PHP can give you a significant level of care in a hospital setting while still allowing you to stay at home overnight. You will attend treatment at least 5 days a week for up to 6 hours at a time.
• Aftercare: Aftercare is essential to any treatment program. After you complete an inpatient or outpatient program, aftercare gives you the support you need to maintain a substance-free lifestyle.

Researchers have found that around 50% of those who struggle with substance use also have a co-occurring mental health disorder, such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).⁹

When you have 2 diagnoses at the same time, it is known as a dual diagnosis or comorbidity.¹⁰ Getting help that addresses both disorders concurrently has been shown to produce superior results compared to treating each disorder separately.¹⁰

Like substance use disorder treatment, mental health disorder treatment is included in the ACA’s list of 10 essential health benefits.⁵ This is true even if one or both conditions are preexisting, and the plan cannot impose a spending limit on medically necessary treatment or therapy.¹¹

The ACA also protects parity in treatment.¹¹ This means that insurance plans must cover mental health and addiction treatment at the same level as other medical needs concerning care management, cost, and treatment days.¹¹

Finding a treatment facility can feel overwhelming, but knowing in advance what your Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama insurance will cover can give you peace of mind. The good news is, checking your coverage is easy. To learn about your specific coverage in Alabama or out of state, contact an admissions navigator at , or fill out the form below.

American Addiction Centers has several facilities that you can access within the Blue Cross Blue Shield provider network. You aren’t limited to Alabama either as our facilities are located across the United States.

As a BCBSAL member, your insurance plan may fully or partially cover treatment at a facility, including:

• AdCare Rhode Island: AdCare Rhode Island is on 30 acres of wooded land in a historic area of the state. The center offers inpatient and outpatient treatment for adults and is one of only 2 non-hospital medical detox programs in Rhode Island.
• Desert Hope Treatment Center: Desert Hope is in a residential area of Las Vegas and specializes in treating co-occurring disorders. There is also a veteran-specific treatment program that takes into account the unique experiences of military personnel.
• Greenhouse Treatment Center: Greenhouse has 2 campuses, one in Dallas and one in Arlington. You can get detox, residential treatment, outpatient programs, and more from them. This rehab offers a specialized LGBTQ program.
• Laguna Treatment Center: This Southern California treatment center offers medical detox, residential inpatient care, and aftercare. You can get treatment for co-occurring disorders while enjoying cozy living arrangements and a scenic environment for recovery.
• Oxford Treatment Center: Oxford is in beautiful Etta, Mississippi. They specialize in medical detox, residential treatment, and co-occurring disorders, but other programs are also available. There you will stay in large cabins on 110 wooded acres that include an equestrian center.
• River Oaks Treatment Center: River Oaks, near Tampa, Florida, offers holistic, evidence-based treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders. The center uses an in-house developed curriculum, meditation, physical activity, and more to support physical, psychological, and spiritual recovery.

Choosing to address and overcome substance use disorder takes a lot of courage and strength. You deserve all the support you can get. American Addiction Centers is committed to helping break the cycle of addiction. If you have questions about drug or alcohol addiction treatment or want to know what your Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama insurance covers, contact us at

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020.) Alabama: Opioid-Involved Deaths and Related Harms.
2. Blue Cross Blue Shield. (2022). BCBS® Companies and Licensees.
3. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. (2022). About Us.
4. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. (2022). Facts.
5. Healthcare.gov. (n.d.). What Marketplace health insurance plans cover.
6. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. (2022) Mental Health and Substance Abuse Benefits.
7. Healthcare.gov (2021). What you should know about provider networks.
8. FindTreatment.gov (2019). Treatment Options.
9. National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Disorders.
10. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). What are the treatments for comorbid substance use disorder and mental health conditions?
11. Healthcare.gov. (n.d.). Mental health & substance abuse coverage.