What should I ask a rehab's admissions office before saying yes?

Question

My daughter finally agreed to go. I have three places that take our insurance and they all sound the same on the phone. What questions actually separate a good program from a slick sales pitch?

CarolJ · Accepted Answer

Ask these, in writing if you can: (1) Are you licensed in this state, and what accreditation do you hold — CARF or Joint Commission? (2) Who actually provides care — how many licensed clinicians, and what's the staff-to-client ratio? (3) Do you support medication-assisted treatment, or are you against it? ('Against it' is a red flag for opioid recovery.) (4) What does a typical day look like? (5) How do families participate? (6) Who handles insurance reviews, and what happens if coverage is cut short? (7) What is the ALL-IN cost, including labs and meds, in writing? A good program answers all seven without flinching.

MikeT_74 · Answer

Red flags from someone who picked wrong the first time: they guarantee outcomes, they offer to fly you across the country tonight, they dodge the ownership question, or they bad-mouth medication instead of discussing it. Good places sound calm. Sales mills sound urgent.