Alcohol and Drug Statistics for Waterloo, IA
Iowa ranks relatively low among U.S. states for overall issues related to drugs and alcohol. But in recent years, the state has seen a jump in usage of and deaths related to drugs and alcohol s, an increase that also affects Waterloo and Black Hawk County.
Although Iowa ranked 45th among U.S. states for illicit drug use and overdose deaths in 2021, it also ranked 8th in binge drinking and 5th in misuse of opioid pain medications. And in 2019, record numbers of Iowans ended up in hospital emergency rooms for drug and alcohol-related injuries.
Here are a few more recent statistics on alcohol and drug use affecting the health and well-being of residents in Black Hawk County and the state of Iowa:
Between 2019 and 2020, Iowa’s rate of drug overdose deaths jumped 19%.
Although drug overdose death rates are rising in Iowa, those rates are nearly half the national average.
In the same period, the number of deaths related to opioid drugs, including fentanyl, rose by 35%.
In a single year (2019-2020), Iowa’s opioid death rate among those younger than 24 rose 180%.
In 2020, one in five Iowa residents was classified as a binge drinker.
In the same year, alcohol consumption in the state exceeded national averages by about 10%.
More than 1,000 annual deaths in Iowa are related to excessive alcohol consumption.
How to Pay for Addiction Treatment in Iowa
The following are various ways to finance your recovery program:
Private Insurance
If you have private health insurance from the Healthcare Marketplace or through your place of employment, you can use your insurance to cover the cost of drug and alcohol rehab. By law, your provider is required to cover addiction treatment services to the extent they cover medical services. This means they will likely provide partial or full coverage for treatment.
Iowa Medicaid
Iowa Medicaid is a federal health insurance program that provides coverage for low-income people and families who don’t have access to private insurance. You can use Iowa Medicaid to cover the cost of drug rehab in Waterloo.
Medicare
Iowa Medicare provides health insurance coverage to people aged 65 and older. Like Medicaid, Medicare covers substance misuse treatment services, such as inpatient and outpatient rehab as well as substance use disorder assessments.
TRICARE in Iowa
Iowa is located in the West Region for TRICARE, a government program providing health insurance coverage for military personnel, veterans, and their families. You can use TRICARE to cover the cost of drug and alcohol rehab, making it more accessible.
Sliding Scale Payment Options
If a free rehab is full or has a long waiting list, you can apply to a sliding scale rehab, which only charges you what you can reasonably pay based on your income.
IHS-Funded Drug Rehabs
The Indian Health Services provides funding for some Iowa drug and alcohol rehab centers, making them able to provide free treatment to Indigenous people.
Resources
- Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy. (2021). Drug Trends in Iowa.
- National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. (2019). Iowa Alcohol Abuse Statistics.
- Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy. (2022). Iowa Drug Control Strategies & Drug Use Profile.
