Blog

Paying for Residential Treatment With an HSA or FSA: IRS Publication 502, the 7.5% Deduction Floor, and What to Ask Billing
Addiction, Family Support, Treatment ResourcesIRS Publication 502 treats inpatient addiction treatment, including meals and lodging, as a medical expense. Here is how HSAs, FSAs, and the 7.5% deduction floor work, and the billing questions to ask before you pay.

Medi-Cal and Residential Addiction Treatment in California: The County Access Line, the 16-Bed Rule, and What to Ask Before You Call
Addiction, Treatment ResourcesMedi-Cal pays for residential addiction treatment through county behavioral health systems. Here is who to call first, what to gather, and four questions to ask the county access line.

Naloxone at Discharge From Residential Treatment: Lost Tolerance, the Four-Hour Rule, and What to Ask Before Going Home
Addiction, Family Support, Treatment ResourcesThe weeks after residential treatment carry a higher overdose risk for anyone with an opioid history. Here is what naloxone does, per CDC guidance, and a five-step checklist for families before discharge day.

Counting Standard Drinks Before the Admissions Call: The 14-Gram Rule, Bottle Math, and What to Tell Admissions
Addiction, Alcohol, Treatment ResourcesA 750 ml bottle of wine is about five standard drinks; a fifth of 80-proof spirits is about 17. How to convert what you actually drink into standard drinks before calling residential treatment admissions, and why the number shapes safe withdrawal planning.

Buprenorphine and Methadone in Residential Treatment: Staying on Your Medication, the 72-Hour Rule, and What to Tell Admissions
Addiction, Prescription Drugs, Treatment ResourcesMost residential programs no longer ask people to stop buprenorphine or methadone. Here is how each medication is continued, what the federal 72-hour rule means, and the six details to have ready before you call.

GHB and GBL Dependence and Residential Treatment: Round-the-Clock Dosing, Withdrawal Within Hours, and What to Tell Admissions
Addiction, Treatment ResourcesGHB, GBL and 1,4-butanediol withdrawal can begin within hours and requires medical supervision. Here is how residential admissions works and the checklist to bring to the first call.

Cannabis Use Disorder and Residential Treatment: The Two-Week Withdrawal Window, Hyperemesis, and What to Tell Admissions
Addiction, Treatment ResourcesCannabis withdrawal is usually not dangerous on its own, but it peaks in the first week and can last two weeks. Here is how residential treatment plans for it and what admissions needs to know.

Young Adults on a Parent’s Insurance and Residential Treatment: The Age-26 Rule, the Age-18 Privacy Line, and What to Tell Admissions
Addiction, Family Support, Treatment ResourcesA young adult can stay on a parent’s health plan until 26, but after 18 the treatment program needs their own consent to share anything with family. Here is how to plan coverage, consent and admission together.

Ketamine Use and Residential Treatment: No Detox Medication, Bladder Symptoms, Prescribed Ketamine, and What to Tell Admissions
Addiction, Prescription Drugs, Treatment ResourcesKetamine has no FDA-approved treatment medication and no standard detox protocol. Here is how residential care handles the first week, bladder damage, prescribed ketamine, and what to tell admissions.

Meth and Cocaine Use Disorder in Residential Treatment: The 2-of-11 Rule, No FDA-Approved Medication, and What to Tell Admissions
Addiction, Cocaine, Meth, Treatment ResourcesThere is no FDA-approved medication for stimulant use disorder. Here is how residential treatment for meth and cocaine works instead, what the first week looks like, and what to have ready for the admissions call.

Gambling Problems and Residential Addiction Treatment: The DSM-5 Four-of-Nine Rule, Money Safeguards, and What to Tell Admissions
Addiction, Family Support, Treatment ResourcesGambling problems often surface alongside alcohol or drug use. Here is how residential treatment screens for gambling disorder, which money safeguards help early on, and the three things to write down before you call admissions.

From the Hospital or ER to Residential Treatment: Medical Clearance, the Discharge Summary, and What to Tell Admissions
Addiction, Family Support, Treatment ResourcesHow a hospital or emergency room transfer to residential treatment works: medical clearance, the discharge summary, the withdrawal timing window, and what families should tell admissions before discharge.
