Private health insurance for addiction treatment often covers an inpatient stay at Castle Health. That usually includes the medical detox, the residential programme, and the therapy that runs through it. What your own policy funds depends on the insurer and the tier of cover. But most admissions through health insurance for inpatient rehab can be arranged within 48 hours once funding is confirmed.
Our admissions team can take the policy detail from you when you’re ready to call. They handle the funding request with your insurer directly, and confirm what is covered and what is not before you commit to anything.
Does health insurance cover addiction treatment?
Most major private health insurance policies cover inpatient addiction treatment at Castle Health, though the level of cover varies by policy tier and insurer. Mental health cover on its own isn’t always the same as cover for addiction treatment specifically. Confirm both with your insurer in the first instance.
Insurers generally fund residential stays at providers they’ve approved. Castle Craig and Smarmore Castle are both approved by the insurers we work with for inpatient rehab insurance cover, and we can start the conversation about your specific policy as soon as you call.
What’s usually covered by your health insurance
Health insurance for addiction treatment usually funds the following elements of the residential stay:
What's usually not covered
- Continuing care and aftercare are typically not funded by insurance and need to be planned for separately.
- Funding cannot be arranged once treatment has already started, only before admission.
- Single-room accommodation is included on some policies and not others. Confirm with your insurer in advance.
“I contacted Castle Health [formerly CATCH Recovery] seeking guidance and options to support a relative who was having a difficult time both with addiction and other mental health concerns. The team were incredibly kind and informed, they took the time to go through all the options with me and helped us plan how to approach the matter. Fortunately the person has now been receiving care from CATCH for several months and is doing really well. A big thank you to the wonderful team! I would highly recommend this service.”
How does our insurance admissions process work?
The route from your first call to admission has four steps. Admission often happens within 48 hours of your insurer confirming cover, though the timeline can vary if the GP contact takes longer. If the clinical picture is urgent, our admissions team can talk you through what’s possible.
Our wider admissions process is the same regardless of how you’re funding treatment, with the insurance steps below built in alongside it.
Step 1. Speak to your insurer first
Before you call us, it helps to speak with your insurance provider directly. Ask whether your policy covers addiction treatment specifically, not just mental health cover. Ask for an authorisation code and your member number, and find out how long your policy will fund treatment for. This saves time later and means you know what you’re working with when you call us.
Step 2. Book a free assessment with us
Next, contact our admissions team and ask for a free addiction assessment. The conversation lasts around 30 minutes and is fully confidential. We use it to understand what you’ve been going through and to start building a clinical picture of what would help. Where useful, our Consultant Psychiatrist may join the call or follow up afterwards.
Step 3. We handle the funding request
Once you decide to proceed, our admissions team submits the funding request form to your insurer on your behalf. We liaise with the insurer directly so you don’t have to mediate the relationship. We’ll tell you straight away if your insurer needs more information or if approval is going to take longer than expected.
Step 4. Medical history check before admission
Before you arrive, we contact your GP for your medical history. People often arrive at residential rehab in vulnerable physical and mental states, and the GP contact lets our clinical team plan for that safely. Our Consultant Psychiatrist may want to speak with your GP directly. This usually happens where there’s a dual diagnosis (an addiction alongside another mental health condition) or a physical complication that affects how we plan your stay.
Insurance providers we work with at Castle Health
We work with most major UK, Irish, European, and international health insurance providers across both inpatient locations. The list below is the most common cover we see, but it isn’t exhaustive. If you don’t see your provider here, call us and we’ll confirm whether your policy can fund residential addiction treatment with us.
UK and international providers (Castle Craig, Scotland)
The following insurers fund drug and alcohol rehab in Scotland at Castle Craig, and many include health insurance for drug and alcohol rehab as part of their standard inpatient cover: BUPA, AXA Health, Vitality, WPA, Aetna, Cigna, Allianz, Healix, TRICARE, JSIS (European Union), Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions, United Healthcare, and Henner.
Irish providers (Smarmore Castle, Ireland)
For residential addiction treatment in Ireland at Smarmore Castle, we work directly with VHI Healthcare and St. Paul’s Garda Medical Aid Society. Laya Healthcare and Irish Life Health may include cover under certain policies, including health insurance for drug addiction treatment and health insurance for alcohol addiction treatment. Confirm with your insurer.
Why insurers approve Castle Health
Insurers approve Castle Health because of the clinical standard, not because we paid to be on a list. We hold ISO 9001 and CHKS accreditation across both sites, Castle Craig is approved at ASAM Level 4 for medical detox, and our model is consultant-led with more than 40 years of clinical experience behind it. People doing private research for someone in their life often choose Castle Health for the same reasons.
Locations designed to support your recovery
Castle Health operates two inpatient locations: Castle Craig in Scotland and Smarmore Castle in Ireland. Both are accredited residential centres approved by the major insurers we work with. See all the locations we serve for an overview of where treatment – inpatient and outpatient – is delivered across the wider group.
How long does insurance funded inpatient rehab last?
The standard funded stay for health insurance for inpatient rehab is 28 days. That covers the full residential programme: medical detox where needed, individual and group therapy, 12 Step elements of treatment, and ongoing psychiatric review throughout your stay.
For some people, 28 days is the right length of clinical care. For others, it’s where the work starts. Where a clinical extension is appropriate, our team will submit a request to your insurer, but the decision rests with them. We’ll tell you early on whether an extension is likely for your policy. You won’t hear about it for the first time on day 26.
Continuing care after the funded stay is a separate conversation from the residential programme. We’ll plan that with you before discharge and walk you through what’s realistic.
Paying for inpatient rehab without insurance
Not everyone reading this page has private medical insurance for rehab. There are other routes in, and our admissions team can talk you through which are realistic for your situation.
Most often these include:
- Self-funding, where you pay for treatment directly
- Employer-assisted funding through schemes such as Healix, TRICARE, or the NHS Practitioner Health programme
- HSE funding for eligible Irish patients via Smarmore Castle
- Family contribution towards treatment, where this is a route the people in your life have offered
- A combination of the above, where appropriate
If your insurance won’t cover the stay you need, we’ll tell you up front, not after you’ve started treatment. From there, we can talk through whichever funding route makes sense for your circumstances.
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Category Alcohol AddictionIf someone in your life needs help paying for inpatient addiction treatment
A lot of people who call our admissions team aren’t calling for themselves. They’re calling for someone in their life who needs treatment, often after weeks of quiet research. If that’s you, the insurance question is one of the practical things you can usefully sort out before having the harder conversation about treatment itself.
A few practical points:
- If the person you’re calling about is a named dependant on your policy, you may be able to fund treatment through your own insurance. Check with your insurer first.
- If you’re paying for their policy, or you’re both on a family policy, the funding request still has to come through the policyholder or named beneficiary.
- Confidentiality is protected. The insurer sees the funding request and clinical justification only. Session detail stays between you and the clinical team.
- We can talk with you first, without the person you’re calling about being in the conversation, while you work out your next step. Get in touch with our team when you’re ready.
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Our admissions process is confidential and designed to suit and support you and your circumstances. Find out more about the Admissions process.
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Frequently asked questions about health insurance for addiction treatment
Can I use my insurance if I’m not the policyholder?
Yes, if you’re a named dependant on the policy. Confirm with the policyholder and the insurer before contacting us, and have the authorisation code and member number ready when you call.
Will using my insurance for addiction treatment affect my premium?
This depends on your insurer and your policy. Some treat addiction treatment as a single claim. Others factor it into renewal pricing. Ask your insurer directly before you submit a claim.
Is my treatment confidential if I use insurance?
Yes. Your insurer receives the funding request and clinical justification only. Our clinical and admissions records stay confidential, as with any medical treatment.
Can I use insurance to fund treatment for a family member?
If you’re paying for someone else’s policy, or they are on a family policy with you, the funding request still has to come through the policyholder or named beneficiary. Our admissions team can talk through the specifics with you.
What happens if my insurer denies cover?
We’ll tell you up front. From there, we can talk through self-funding, employer schemes, or, for Irish patients, HSE funding at Smarmore Castle.
Can my employer’s group policy cover addiction treatment?
Often yes, particularly executive and professional schemes. Group cover is sometimes more generous than individual policies. Speak to your HR contact or scheme administrator before calling us.