Inpatient Rehab Centers in Colorado

What does inpatient treatment for substance use look like in Colorado?

Inpatient treatment for substance use disorder in Colorado is 24-hour, medically supervised care delivered in a hospital unit or a high-intensity program with physicians and nurses on site. Listings note whether a program offers hospital-based withdrawal management, psychiatric care alongside addiction treatment, and medications such as buprenorphine, methadone or naltrexone.

Anyone who needs medical withdrawal care first can compare detox programs in Colorado. People with a mental health condition as well can look at dual diagnosis care. Withdrawal from alcohol or benzodiazepines should be checked by a clinician before anyone stops or cuts back. Ask intake staff which medications can be started or continued on the unit.

All of Colorado’s inpatient listings are urban, and most sit at high elevation, between 5,310 and 5,830 feet, with a median of 5,475 feet. Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport is the nearest airport for about half of them, at a median of 14.4 miles. Most lie within 25 miles of a river, mainly the North Fork South Platte River.

Payment for a stay depends on the plan and on medical need. Medicare Part A can apply to a medically necessary hospital stay, Health First Colorado plans may need to authorize a stay soon after admission, and private insurers usually ask for prior authorization plus updates while treatment continues.

Who licenses inpatient programs in Colorado?

Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration (BHA), housed within the Department of Human Services, licenses behavioral health providers through a Behavioral Health Entity base license, with endorsements for specific services. A unit inside a hospital may also operate under that hospital’s own license. To look up a license, search the provider on the BHA’s licensing pages or ask the admissions team for the license number and the services it covers. Opioid treatment programs also answer to the BHA’s State Opioid Treatment Authority.

When is withdrawal a medical emergency?

Withdrawal from alcohol or benzodiazepines needs a medical assessment before anyone stops or cuts down, because symptoms can include seizures. For seizures, confusion, chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911. For a mental health or substance use crisis in Colorado, call or text 988, which connects to 988 Colorado.

How is inpatient care different from residential treatment?

Inpatient care centers on medical treatment, with physician and nursing coverage around the clock. Residential treatment is a live-in program built mainly around counseling and daily structure. Federal clinical guidance and the ASAM Criteria place inpatient care at level 3.7, which is medically monitored, and level 4, which is medically managed in a hospital. Colorado programs that list both words may run more than one level, so ask which ASAM level a stay would fall under. Live-in programs without round-the-clock medical staff appear under residential rehab in Colorado.

Rates in the table are what Health First Colorado’s fee-for-service schedule pays a provider per day, not what a patient pays.

Will Medicare, Health First Colorado or private insurance pay for an inpatient stay?

Payment for an inpatient stay depends on the plan and on medical need, so no type of coverage pays for every stay. Medicare Part A, the hospital part of Medicare, can apply to a medically necessary inpatient hospital stay for substance use or psychiatric care, with a deductible and possible coinsurance. Programs that take Medicare are grouped under Medicare rehab in Colorado.

Health First Colorado is the state’s Medicaid program, run by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. From July 1, 2025, Regional Accountable Entities run its behavioral health benefit: Rocky Mountain Health Plans with RMHP Prime, Northeast Health Partners, Colorado Community Health Alliance and Colorado Access. A plan may need to approve a stay before or soon after admission, so ask the admissions team to start that request. Pregnant and postpartum members can ask about the Special Connections program. Programs that take Medicaid are marked in each listing.

Private insurers usually require prior authorization and updates during the stay. Colorado residents without insurance can ask about block grant funds the BHA oversees, or browse state-funded rehab in Colorado.

How long does an inpatient stay for substance use usually last?

Inpatient stays for substance use are usually short. A hospital withdrawal stay is often measured in days, and medically monitored care can run a few weeks, though each program sets its own length. Length also depends on withdrawal symptoms, other health conditions and what a plan approves. Colorado law sets separate limits for involuntary care: an emergency commitment can last up to 5 days, and a court-ordered commitment up to 270 days.

What happens after an inpatient stay ends?

Discharge planning in Colorado inpatient programs starts early in the stay, and most people step down to a lower level of care rather than going home without support. Common next steps are residential care, a partial hospitalization program or an intensive outpatient program, along with any medication started on the unit. Some people move into sober living. Colorado recovery residences are currently certified through the Colorado Association of Recovery Residences, and they will need a direct BHA license by July 1, 2027.

To compare options, start from the Colorado treatment listings and filter by level of care, insurer and language. Programs outside the state appear in the national inpatient programs list.