More and more rehab professionals in the Drug Alcohol Rehab field are agreeing that the traditional 28-day drug and alcohol rehab programs are not effective. For over 25 years the the traditional 28-day rehab program has been touted as the accepted model for treatment. The birth of the 28-day treatment program modality in the late 1970's was incubated by the recognition of major health insurance companies that drug and alcohol addiction needed to be included and covered in health care benefits.
Blue Cross Blue Shield pioneered acknowledging and paying for drug and alcohol treatment. As other major carriers followed suit, for profit drug and alcohol rehab programs sprang up all over the country. The 28-day modality was created primarily to meet the billing criteria that was being set by profiteers in the health care field and the health insurance carriers.
In the early days of insurance coverage for rehab there were many abuses and even out right fraudulent billing practices in play by some of these for profit rehab programs. Many of whom were closed down. Reliegh Hills was the first for profit program to get caught fruadulently billing insurance companies for tens of millions of dollars. This took them out of business but sparked a few other early for profit rehab programs to engadge in questionable billing practices.
Here we are now full circle. The 28-day residential rehab program has run its course. It is now fairly common knowledge that longer term treatment programs that work more on improving social skills and problem solving yields a much higher recovery rate. And that 90 days or longer in residence yields a much higher recovery rate. Especially for addictive drugs like cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, heroin or prescription sedtatives and painkillers.
If your looking for a good rehab program look to the programs that have been around for 20 years or longer. The longer a program has been in consecutive operation the better your chance will be of success.
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