
Low-income residents of South Dakota with drug addiction or alcohol addiction can now turn to Medicaid to pay for treatment. Medicaid is a federal and state-run health plan for people who would otherwise not have enough money to pay for certain, necessary types of health care, such as substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.
Without Medicaid, addicted individuals may not even bother to seek help due to cost. Fortunately, South Dakota is home to a range of alcohol and drug treatment centers that accept the state’s Medicaid plan, making substance abuse treatment attainable.
South Dakota Medicaid Coverage For Alcohol And Drug Treatment
South Dakota Medicaid is operated by the state’s Department of Social Services. Patients who have Medicaid, called recipients, choose a primary care provider, or PCP. If they don’t choose a PCP, one is chosen for them.
Working with a PCP is important if a person has South Dakota Medicaid because there are treatment services that need a PCP referral. For example, though a referral isn’t needed for SUD outpatient treatment or certain mental health services, it is needed if the patient wants to be admitted to a residential treatment facility.
South Dakota has not accepted the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), though expansion may be on the ballot in 2022.
Drug And Alcohol Rehab Programs Often Covered By South Dakota Medicaid
Substance abuse and chemical dependency services are coordinated by South Dakota’s Behavioral Health Department through several programs.
One program oversees both mental health treatment and addiction treatment for young people, adults, and patients who are part of the justice system. There are also programs that provide services exclusively to incarcerated men and women.
Examples of addiction services which may be covered through Medicaid are as follows:
- inpatient treatment
- outpatient treatment
- community support
- medication-assisted treatment
- detoxification
- intervention
- peer support
- screening and assessment
Top 4 Rehab Centers That Accept South Dakota Medicaid
These four drug and alcohol treatment centers accept Medicaid. They are listed for their high standards of care, the recommendations of their patients, and their accreditation.
1. Aberdeen Alcohol and Drug Treatment, Aberdeen, South Dakota
This treatment center offers detox as one of the ways it helps patients recover from alcohol and drug addiction. It provides both inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment. While in the addiction treatment program, patients are given therapies such as behavior modification and cognitive behavioral therapy.
The drug rehab center has special services for pregnant and postpartum patients and helps patients who are in need of housing. They accept age groups from young adults to adults.
Location and contact information:
3315 6th Ave.
Aberdeen, SD 57401
(605) 496-9101
2. Carroll Institute Outpatient Alcohol and Drug Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
For many years, the Carroll Institute has been helping patients recover from chemical dependency and substance abuse through its outpatient settings, including intensive outpatient treatment. Their addiction therapies include motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and the 12 step approach.
The Institute welcomes patients with a dual diagnosis and those ordered into treatment by the courts. They also offer housing services, interim services, and transportation assistance. The Carroll Institute accepts patients who are already taking opioid prescription medications and have services for DWI patients.
Location and contact information:
310 South 1st Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
(605) 336-2556
3. East Central BH, Brookings, South Dakota
This outpatient drug rehab center helps patients overcome addiction through such therapies as dialectical behavior therapy, motivational interviewing, and relapse prevention techniques.
They offer the Matrix Model to patients healing from addiction to stimulants and practice brief interventions and community outreach.
Special programs include discharge planning and aftercare. They help patients with housing and social services, and accept patients who are on medication for opioid drug abuse. East Central has exclusive services for DWI patients and services for patients who are hearing-impaired. They treat age groups from children to adults.
Location and contact information:
211 4th St.
Brookings, SD 57006
(605) 697-2850
4. Wellspring, Rapid City, South Dakota
Patients who enter Wellspring can be treated in inpatient programs, intensive outpatient programs, outpatient programs, or short-term or long-term rehab programs.
While in the programs, they are helped through:
- anger management
- motivational interviewing
- contingency management and motivational incentive
- rational emotive therapy
Wellspring promotes the 12-step approach as well as community outreach and brief interventions.
Wellspring also treats patients with a dual diagnosis. These patients need treatment of drug or alcohol addiction as well as mental health disorders. The treatment facility also has special programs for adolescents and people who have undergone trauma. Wellspring is geared toward children and adolescents.
Other treatment services include:
- aftercare
- case management
- discharge planning
- drug and alcohol abuse screening
- group counseling
- family counseling
- individual counseling
Location and contact information:
1205 East St. James St.
Rapid City, SD 57701
(605) 718-4870
South Dakota Medicaid FAQs
Choosing the right rehab program often involves finding one that works with your insurance. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about what types of addiction treatment programs South Dakota Medicaid will cover.
❓ Does South Dakota Medicaid Cover Inpatient Treatment For Alcohol And Drug Abuse?
✔️ Inpatient treatment takes place at a drug and alcohol rehab center over a specified length of time. Also called residential treatment, it is covered by South Dakota Medicaid.
❓ Does South Dakota Medicaid Cover The Cost Of Outpatient Treatment Services?
✔️ In outpatient treatment, the patient visits the facility and has counseling and other treatment for a few hours per week. It is covered by South Dakota Medicaid health plans.
❓ Does South Dakota Medicaid Cover The Cost Of Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)?
✔️ The South Dakota Medicaid insurance program does not cover partial hospitalization. However, other forms of outpatient programs are covered by the Medicaid plan and may be recommended in lieu of a PHP program.
❓ Does South Dakota Medicaid Cover Intensive Outpatient Programs?
✔️ A patient in intensive outpatient treatment, or IOP, stays at their treatment facility longer then they would with regular outpatient treatment but is still discharged at the end of the day. South Dakota Medicaid covers IOP.
❓ Does South Dakota Medicaid Pay For Medication-Assisted Treatment?
✔️ Treatment facilities that use medication-assisted treatment (MAT) help patients heal from their addictions by easing the cravings and discomforts of withdrawal that can put the patient in danger or relapse.
The patient is also under supervision. Because of this, a patient with MAT can benefit from other therapies even as the drug of abuse is purged from their system. MAT is covered by South Dakota Medicaid.
❓ Does South Dakota Medicaid Cover The Cost Of Suboxone Therapy?
✔️ South Dakota Medicaid covers Suboxone, buprenorphine, and buprenorphine/naloxone tablets under fee-for-service plans. Patients don’t have to be enrolled in an SUD counseling program, but the medications need prior authorization by Medicaid before they can be prescribed.
The medications are a pharmacy benefit under fee-for-service plans, but they’re not authorized to be used in certain treatment programs, such as outpatient narcotic treatment.
❓ Does South Dakota Medicaid Cover Methadone Maintenance Therapy?
✔️ South Dakota Medicaid does not cover methadone. If you and your treatment provided decide that this is the right treatment plan for you, there are other ways to pay for this prescription drug. Many rehab centers offer payment arrangements or other forms of payment assistance.
Paying For Costs Not Covered By South Dakota Medicaid
A recipient who finds that Medicaid doesn’t cover a service can choose from many alternative sources of funding. These include Medicare, Access to Recovery (ATR) vouchers, or state-funded health plans other than Medicaid.
They can also use their own savings, loans, crowdsourcing, and private insurance. Other members may use military insurance or IHS/Tribal/Urban funding, while others make arrangements for payment assistance with their treatment center. Some centers are free or charge or offer a sliding fee scale.
In some states, scholarships and state grants may be available as well.
South Dakota Medicaid Eligibility Requirements
People who need Medicaid go through the Medical Assistance for Low-Income Families program. To join, a person has to be in need of health insurance, a resident of the state, and a permanent resident, citizen, or legal alien of the United States whose income is not above a certain percentage of the federal poverty level.
They must also be one of the following:
- pregnant women
- responsible for a child of 18 or younger
- disabled
- living with a disabled family member
Finding Rehab Facilities That Accept South Dakota Medicaid
There are a good number of high-quality South Dakota treatment facilities that accept Medicaid. Most of them have remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic even as they have adopted protocols to protect their patients and their staff. Untreated substance abuse can be devastating, even in the best of times.
During this difficult time, it is especially important for you or a loved one to seek help for drug and alcohol addiction. Contact our treatment helpline today to find out more about South Dakota rehab centers that accept Medicaid.
Published on November 4, 2020
Addiction Resource aims to provide only the most current, accurate information in regards to addiction and addiction treatment, which means we only reference the most credible sources available.
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- Benefits.gov — South Dakota Medicaid
https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1217 - Medicaid Office — South Dakota Medicaid Eligibility Requirements
https://www.medicaidoffice.net/south-dakota-medicaid-eligibility-me42 - South Dakota Department of Social Services — Behavioral Health Services
https://dss.sd.gov/behavioralhealth/default.aspx