Getting your insurance to pay for drug tests

paidmydues · May 16, 2016

No, I have paid out of pocket, but worth a try...thanks for the idea...

poppycat, ADN, BSN · May 16, 2016

I tried this when I started my monitoring program. My insurance said they wouldn't pay because the drug tests were not related to a medical condition.

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Jun 7, 2016

My insurance won't pay for them because the program requires Labcorp and i have to go elsewhere (like my hospital lab) for blood work. I could go elsewhere but then i'd have to pay more for the "collection fees" or whatever other random idea that someone has come up with to gouge me for more money. This is fine by me because i am not big on publicizing that I have to do this anyway. Besides, the Labcorp people at the one i usually go to are actually pretty decent about the whole thing.

I have found (on Affinity) where you can print out individual receipts for each test fee. It generates a document that suffices for an insurance reimbursement filing. I found this by accident because, like many things with these programs, it's not publicized and we are left to either trust the third-hand information/hearsay that floats around or research it ourselves.

I gather those up and put them in the stack to go to the CPA at the end of the year. Oddly, I find it a small comfort (read blowing a rasberry at the situation) that I can at least take the tax deduction, as an unreimbursed medical expense. That also begs the question of exactly where are these programs getting the doctor's order for these things anyway, but that is for another post on another day.

I consider it such since I can also deduct my co-pays for therapy, etc. (which while also mandated by the contract is also something needed anyhow.) Granted I am not sure that it is fortunate or not that I have enough other health issues going on that I routinely surpass the threshold of 7.5% AGI (I think that's the amount) to take it.

As expensive as this mostly useless experience is, I am happy to get any relief from anywhere i can.

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Jun 7, 2016

How can drug dependency treatment NOT be considered a medical issue?! How frustrating, yet another example of mental health issues being dismissed as not a "real" medical condition. But I agree with catsmeow, definitely take the tax deduction!

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Jun 7, 2016

Especially since mine really is mental health, not even substance use issues. I got herded into unecessary noninsurance payable drug/alcohol treatment due to the program forcing me to go to their affiliated evaluators. I was off work for 16 months because of it. I was even able to pull SSDI for that time frame. More reasons as to why these programs do more damage than good for the majority of participants.

allnurses Guide · Jun 7, 2016

Has anyone been able to get their medical insurance carrier to pay for drug testing through firstlab or recovery trek or whatever your monitoring program uses? My therapist said in some states that people in assistance programs are able to bill their insurance for the costs so that they don't pay out of pocket. I asked recoverytrek to bill the insurance but they said they couldn't and would instead give me a receipt for my drug tests so that I could submit a claim to my insurance myself and get reimbursed. Has anyone tried doing this? Or do you all pay out of pocket for the tests?

I always paid out of pocket for my tests - and they were much cheaper back when I was being monitored but it is a good question. I would call the insurance company directly to ask and I would pick a morning that I had off and be prepared to spend several hours on the phone. Insurance companies are a pain to talk to. I never even thought to ask - but since my health insurance at the time paid for my rehab program so that my addiction was a documented part of my medical record. I supposed they might have paid for my testing in much the same way as tests for my thyroid condition are paid for. Anyway it never hurts to ask.

Hppy

jdub6 · Jun 9, 2016

My insurance refused to pay because they were ordered as a condition of employment and to prove compliance with a contract and not for any acute medical reason. It's worth a try-get the receipts and submit for reimbursement. They might go for it, especially if you can get one of your docs to write that they are necessary for your sobriety and not just a condition of employment. I wouldn't hold my breath but the worst they can say is no so why not try?

The one thing to remember is that if you do that it becomes part of your insurance record forever and could affect life insurance etc. Likely you already have some treatment that reflects your dx on your insurance but if not you may want to keep it under wraps if you can.