Most Medicare Beneficiaries Don't Know Their Plan Covers Outpatient Addiction Treatment, Nassau County Clinic Reports

BALDWIN, NY — September 2026 — Integrity Treatment Partners, an outpatient addiction treatment center in Baldwin, NY, reports that the majority of Medicare beneficiaries who contact the clinic are unaware their insurance covers substance abuse treatment. The clinic has seen a steady increase in Medicare patients over the past year and is working to close the information gap for older adults and people with disabilities who qualify for federal coverage.

The question of whether Medicare covers alcohol rehab comes up frequently. The short answer: yes. Medicare Part B covers outpatient behavioral health services, which includes individual therapy, group counseling, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), and medication-assisted treatment with medications like Suboxone and Vivitrol. For most services, Medicare covers 80 percent of the approved amount after the annual deductible. Medicare Advantage plans — the private-plan alternative offered through companies like UnitedHealthcare and Aetna — often cover the full cost with zero out-of-pocket expense.

"People assume Medicare only covers hospital stays and doctor visits," said Michael Mechow, CASAC, Clinical Director of Integrity Treatment Partners. "They don't realize it covers real addiction treatment — therapy three times a week, MAT medications, the whole program. We've had patients wait years to get help because they thought they couldn't afford it."

There is no substance-specific exclusion in Medicare's coverage rules. Alcohol treatment, opioid treatment, and other substance use disorders are all covered under the same behavioral health benefit. Part B also covers screening and brief intervention services, which means a primary care physician can refer a patient for a substance use evaluation at no additional cost.

The clinic provides outpatient alcohol rehab services including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, family counseling, and relapse prevention planning. Treatment is available during both daytime and evening hours, so patients do not need to take extended leave from work or daily responsibilities. Most patients attend three to five sessions per week during the intensive outpatient phase, then step down to one or two sessions as they stabilize.

Dr. Stuart Wasser, the clinic's Medical Director, noted that Medicare Part B generally covers certain monthly, clinician-administered injectables when given in an office or outpatient setting. "Vivitrol, the monthly extended-release naltrexone injection used for alcohol dependence or opioid relapse prevention, is usually billed under Part B as a physician-administered drug — not only as a Part D pharmacy drug. Sublocade, the monthly buprenorphine injection for opioid use disorder, is generally covered the same way. Coverage is not cost-free: after the Part B deductible, patients typically owe up to 20% coinsurance unless Medigap, Medicaid, or another plan pays that share, and prior authorization can still apply — so we verify each patient's benefits before starting."

Integrity Treatment Partners handles all Medicare billing directly, so patients do not need to file claims or deal with reimbursement paperwork. The clinic offers free insurance verification by phone and can confirm benefits before the first appointment. The admissions team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The clinic accepts Original Medicare (Parts A and B), Medicare Advantage plans from UnitedHealthcare, Empire MediBlue, Aetna, Humana, and others, as well as Medicaid, NYSHIP, and most commercial plans.

Integrity Treatment Partners serves as a rehab on Long Island resource for adults across Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens, and Westchester. The clinic is located at 2250 Grand Ave, Baldwin, NY 11510. Same-day assessments are available by calling (516) 200-1669 or visiting www.integritytreatmentpartners.com.

Medicare covers more addiction treatment than most people realize. We've had patients in their 60s and 70s who drank for decades and never sought help because they assumed it wasn't covered. Once they find out Medicare pays for it, the biggest barrier disappears. — Michael Mechow, CASAC, Clinical Director, Integrity Treatment Partners

Call (516) 200-1669 to schedule intake. Admissions can review insurance after you call. Learn more at www.integritytreatmentpartners.com.