UnitedHealthcare for Addiction Treatment in Missouri

Missouri was the 24th state to be admitted to the nation, and around 6,177,957 people called the state home in 2022.^3,4 The Show Me state’s capital is Jefferson City, but its top 5 most populous cities are Kansas City (486,404), St. Louis (308,174), Springfield (167,051), Independence (117,084), and Columbia (121,230).³ Like many other states across the country, Missouri also struggles with substance use disorder and addiction. From 2017 to 2019, 7.1% of the state’s population age 12 and older reported past-year substance use disorder.⁵

Further, in a single-day count in March 2019, 19,996 Missourians were enrolled in a treatment program.⁵ Of those in substance use treatment, 45.7% were enrolled for only a drug problem, 14.6% were enrolled for only an alcohol problem, and 39.6% were enrolled for treatment for both alcohol and drugs.⁵

UnitedHealthcare (UHC), which is part of the parent company UnitedHealth Group, is a large health insurance company.¹ In totality, UHC’s health insurance solutions serve 49.4 million people across America.¹ There are a variety of health insurance plans that UHC offers and that may be available in Missouri. What’s more, every health plan is different in how it covers various healthcare services, including addiction treatment. That said, almost all plans, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), must provide some level of coverage for addiction treatment and mental health services.² This means that if you’re a Missourian and are struggling with addiction, you may be able to use your plan to offset some or all the costs associated with your care.

UHC provides health insurance solutions, providing employer-sponsored plans and individual and family plans as well as plans in the Medicare and Medicaid markets and state and global markets.¹ Within these markets, there are countless plan designs and options. It’s important to call the number on the back of your insurance card to find out what type of plan design you have and the benefits it provides you.

• Employer plans. An employer plan is provided by either your workplace or your spouse’s or parent’s workplace. Roughly 157 million people in America are covered by an employer-sponsored health plan.⁶ There are a wide variety of different types of plans available in the employer market, but some common ones include:^7-9
  • UHC Choice Open Plan. A UHC Choice Open plan gives covered members the choice of where they receive care, provided the provider is within the plan’s network. Care received at an out-of-network facility or provider is generally only covered in an emergency.⁷ Choice Open plans provide coverage for a variety of services, including office visits, emergency services, inpatient hospital stays, rehab, and mental health services.
  • UHC Choice Plus. A UHC Choice Plus plan is similar to an Open Choice plan, and members can enjoy the same benefits. However, the main difference is that you can use your Choice Plus plan at out-of-network providers for some level of coverage, but these providers are not covered at the same level as in-network providers.
  • UHC PPO. A UHC PPO (preferred provider organization) plan allows members to choose their care provider for most covered services, including mental health and substance use disorder services. However, you may need to obtain prior authorization for coverage from UHC before you can seek covered care.
• Medicare and Medicaid plans. Depending on your location and personal situation, you may be eligible to purchase a Medicare Advantage plan.¹⁰ Medicare Advantage plans combine Original Medicare (Parts A and B) with prescription drug coverage.¹¹ Additional benefits may be provided to you depending on the type of Medicare Advantage plan you purchase.
• Supplemental insurance. UHC also provides various types of supplemental insurance, such as travel health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, accident and critical illness insurance, life insurance, and fixed indemnity insurance.¹²

Per the ACA, almost all health plans offered in the United States must provide some level of coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatment, as they are considered essential health benefits.² Coverage details will depend on the plan you have, what type of treatment you need, and where you seek care. Regardless, UHC covers at least some of the cost of rehab. To find out what may be covered under your plan, call the number on the back of your insurance card or call the American Addiction Centers (AAC) helpline to verify UnitedHealthcare coverage in Missouri.

Whether your UnitedHealthcare insurance plan will cover Missouri inpatient rehab will depend on your specific plan and whether the facility is within your plan’s network of covered providers. Most plans will at least partially cover inpatient care, as well as medical detox and outpatient programs in Missouri. Treatment for both drugs and alcohol is generally covered under UHC plans, but you’ll want to verify your benefits and coverage before seeking care.

Depending on your situation, you may benefit from enrolling in a specialized treatment program. A variety of programs exist across the country and within Missouri. Here are 3 common types of specialized treatment programs:^13-15

• Couples’ addiction treatment. Those who have partners that struggle with addiction or substance use experience negative effects, too. Undergoing joint treatment in couples’ addiction treatment can help you and your partner both understand how addiction is affecting your relationship and how you can overcome it.
• Veterans rehab programs. If you’re a Veteran and are struggling with addiction, you may benefit from receiving specialized treatment at a Veterans’ addiction program. In these programs, providers are trained to provide the care Veterans need, which may include treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression in addition to substance use disorder treatment.
• Aftercare. Depending on your situation, you may benefit from receiving continued care after your rehab is completed, which is known as aftercare.

Mental health treatment services are 1 of 10 essential health benefits that health plans are required to cover per the ACA.² What this means is that treatment for mental health issues may be covered. Multiple types of therapies may be used throughout addiction treatment, including:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Contingency management (CM)
• Rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT)
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
• Motivational interviewing (MI)
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Matrix model
• Family therapy

American Addiction Centers is an industry leader in addiction treatment and care. We offer free, no-obligation assistance via our confidential helpline, as well as treatment offerings at our top-notch facilities across the country. You can call the AAC helpline today and find out whether any of the AAC facilities are covered under your UHC health plan:

• AdCare Rhode Island. Located in Rhode Island, this facility specializes in providing detox services, outpatient services, intensive outpatient services, and behavioral disorder treatment.
• Desert Hope Treatment Center. Located in Las Vegas, Nev., this treatment facility specializes in providing a variety of evidence-based treatment options. Desert Hope also specializes in treatment for first responders, military personnel, and Veterans.
• Greenhouse Treatment Center. Located in Texas, this facility offers treatment that ranges from the full continuum of care for substance use disorder and co-occurring disorders.
• Laguna Treatment Center. This treatment hospital is located in California, near the famous Laguna Beach, and provides individualized treatment, family programs, and aftercare support.
• Oxford Treatment Center. Located in Mississippi in a serene, natural setting, this treatment facility specializes in residential treatment, medical detoxification, individualized treatment, and family programs.
• River Oaks Treatment Center. Located in Florida near Tampa, this facility specializes in residential treatment, detoxification, aftercare programs, and family programs.

AAC works with a variety of insurance companies, but if your UHC plan isn’t accepted at any of the locations, you can use our directory and filter by “insurance” to find in-network facilities. There are rehabs near me that can provide the treatment you need. Check out the directory to find a list of facilities and programs.

American Addiction Centers works with insurance companies similar to UnitedHealthcare. Using insurance to help pay for addiction treatment may help cover some of the cost of addiction treatment. Here’s a list of other popular insurance companies AAC works with:

• Aetna
• Humana
• Kaiser Permanente
• Blue Cross Blue Shield

Even if you’re using your UnitedHealthcare insurance plan for help paying for addiction treatment with insurance, you may have additional costs not covered by insurance to pay out-of-pocket that are not covered under your insurance, such as copays and deductibles. Beyond that, there can be other ways to pay for addiction treatment without insurance.

You can also pay out of pocket for addiction treatment in Missouri. Rehab facilities may extend financing options to you if you choose this option. Depending on your situation, you may also be able to find a state-funded rehab program or free rehab program to keep your out-of-pocket treatment costs as low as possible. Be sure to ask the rehab facility or the AAC helpline what options you may qualify for.

1. UnitedHealth Group. (n.d.). UnitedHealthcare: Health care coverage and benefits.
2. Healthcare.gov. (n.d.). Mental health & substance abuse coverage.
3. Missouri.gov. (n.d.). Learn about Missouri.
4. U.S. Census Bureau. (2022, July 1). QuickFacts Missouri.
5. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Behavioral health barometer: Missouri, volume 6: Indicators as measured through the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services.
6. UnitedHealthcare. (n.d.). Health insurance plans through work.
7. UnitedHealthcare. (n.d.). Choice plans.
8. UnitedHealthcare. (n.d.). Choice Plus plans.
9. UnitedHealthcare. (n.d.). Options PPO plans.
10. UnitedHealthcare. (n.d.). Missouri Medicare Advantage Health Plans.
11. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Understanding Medicare Advantage plans.
12. UnitedHealthcare. (n.d.). Supplemental insurance.
13. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. (n.d.). Substance abuse and intimate relationships.
14. Teeters, J.B., Lancaster, C.L., Brown, D.G., & Back, S.E. (2017). Substance use disorders in military Veterans: prevalence and treatment challenges. Substance abuse and rehabilitation, 8, 69–77.
15. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). What is substance abuse treatment? (Originally published 2004).