Individuals can become addicted to drugs no matter their handicap, disability or personal physical challenge. This sometimes makes people particularly more susceptible to becoming involved in drug or alcohol use, because of the various challenges that this can bring about in the person's life. This is true for individuals in the deaf and hearing impaired community as well, and treatment for substance abuse and addiction is sometimes necessary. Deaf or hearing impaired individuals will need ASL or other assistance as part of their treatment needs, and there are drug treatment programs available which cater to these needs. Professional treatment counselors who know ASL and can offer other necessary assistance to deaf or hearing impaired substance abusers.

Medicaid is a type of health insurance which is accessible to individuals in certain low-income tax brackets. Eligibility for Medicaid depends greatly on income and other circumstances including whether or not the individual has dependents and if they receive any other financial assistance. Medicaid may even cover the costs associated with drug treatment, and there are many drug and alcohol treatment centers throughout the country which are covered through Medicaid. Many drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs which are covered through Medicaid may only deliver a limited treatment curriculum and may only supply such treatment on a short term basis, usually 30 days or less. Individuals who have Medicaid should explore which programs cover the greatest amount of treatment for the most amount of time to reap the full benefits of such a program.

Some individuals are covered through state financed insurance because they do not qualify for Medicaid. Some states however offer affordable health insurance to those who cannot afford private health insurance plans. State financed health insurance programs will sometimes cover the costs associated with substance abuse treatment at a variety of drug and alcohol rehab facilities around the country. State financed insurance other than Medicaid may cover both outpatient or inpatient drug rehab services. To find out which rehab programs will accept state financed insurance, consult a drug treatment advisor.

Paying for drug treatment can be a problem, because typically all resources have been exhausted due to the persons addiction. Many drug rehab programs fully grasp this reality which is why many drug rehabilitation programs across the nation offer payment arrangements known as a sliding scale fee. There are many factors put into the equation of determining what the fee will be from person to person, and these factors are based on individual circumstances such as income, cash on hand, living circumstances, the size of one's family etc. Sliding scale fees have been in use for some time as most drug rehab facilities would rather find a way to make it work financially so that those that need addiction help can get the help they need.