If the back of your insurance card lists “Carelon Behavioral Health” or “Beacon Health Options” for mental health and substance use, your behavioral health benefits are administered by a specialist organization separate from your medical plan. Promises Atlanta is in-network with Carelon (formerly Beacon), which means treatment for addiction and mental health conditions is covered at in-network rates regardless of which medical carrier is on the front of the card. This page explains how that arrangement works, what is covered, and how to verify your benefits.
What Carelon Behavioral Health Is
Carelon Behavioral Health is one of the largest managed behavioral health organizations in the country. It was known as Beacon Health Options until 2023, when Elevance Health (the parent of Anthem) completed its acquisition and rebranded it. Cards, plan documents, and employer benefit guides may still say Beacon for some time; the contract and the coverage are the same.
Carelon does not sell health insurance. It administers behavioral health benefits on behalf of:
- Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in Georgia and other states
- Employers that carve out behavioral health—often large companies, unions, and public employers whose medical plan is with one carrier while mental health and substance use are managed by Carelon
- Some Medicaid managed care plans and state programs
- Employee assistance programs (EAPs) for many employers
If Carelon is your behavioral health administrator, it is Carelon—not your medical carrier—that authorizes treatment at Promises Atlanta.
What Carelon Covers at Promises Atlanta
- Medical detox — typically approved quickly when clinically indicated
- Residential addiction treatment — with prior authorization, reviewed in increments
- Residential mental health treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder
- Dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring conditions
- Partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP)
- Medication-assisted treatment, with medications generally under the pharmacy benefit
Under the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and Georgia’s 2022 Mental Health Parity Act (HB 1013), plans cannot cover substance use or mental health treatment less generously than medical care—no separate day limits, higher copays, or stricter authorization standards. Our explainer on mental health parity in Georgia describes your rights in detail.
Ready to talk? Admissions is available around the clock. Call (678) 904-8617 or verify your insurance online in under a minute. All calls are free and confidential.
What Determines Your Out-of-Pocket Cost
For an in-network facility like Promises Atlanta, what you pay is governed by four numbers on your Carelon plan rather than by the program’s list price:
- Deductible — what you pay before the plan pays. What you have already spent this year counts.
- Coinsurance or copay — your share after the deductible, commonly 10–30% for inpatient care.
- Out-of-pocket maximum — the ceiling. Once reached, the plan pays 100% of in-network covered care for the rest of the year, including step-down levels and outpatient follow-up. For most people entering residential treatment, this is the number that defines their actual cost.
- Network status — in-network benefits apply at Promises Atlanta. Out-of-network care typically carries a higher deductible and coinsurance, or is not covered at all under HMO-style plans.
Our guide to the cost of rehab in Georgia walks through the arithmetic with examples.
One nuance specific to carve-out arrangements: your behavioral health deductible and out-of-pocket maximum are usually combined with your medical plan’s, not separate. Parity law requires this for most plans. If you have already met part of your medical deductible this year, that progress counts toward treatment.
How Carelon Authorization Works
- Our admissions team collects clinical information and your member details, including the Carelon phone number from your card.
- We submit a prior authorization request to Carelon documenting medical necessity under its level-of-care criteria.
- Carelon approves an initial number of days; detox is frequently same-day.
- Our utilization review team submits concurrent reviews to extend authorization as clinically appropriate.
If Carelon limits coverage before our clinicians believe it is warranted, we request peer-to-peer review, pursue internal appeal, and advise you of your right to independent external review under Georgia law.
Carelon and EAP Benefits
Many employers that use Carelon also offer an employee assistance program through it. An EAP typically provides a limited number of free counseling sessions and, importantly, can serve as a confidential front door to treatment: the EAP assesses the situation and refers to an appropriate level of care. If your employer offers a Carelon EAP, calling it is one route; calling us directly is another, and we can coordinate with the EAP when that helps. Neither route discloses anything to your employer without your consent.
Common Carelon Questions
My medical insurance is with a carrier you don’t list. Does Carelon still apply?
Yes. If Carelon administers your behavioral health benefits, our Carelon contract applies to treatment here regardless of the medical carrier.
Does Carelon cover residential mental health treatment without a substance use problem?
Yes. Our residential mental health program is covered under the same benefit with full parity protections.
Does Carelon cover medication-assisted treatment?
Medication is usually covered under your medical plan’s pharmacy benefit rather than through Carelon. We coordinate both.
Timing, Deductibles, and the Calendar
Two timing questions come up on nearly every insurance call. First: should I wait until I have met my deductible? No. Treatment delayed for financial optimization is treatment that often never happens, and for alcohol and benzodiazepine dependence, waiting carries medical risk. If you are close to your deductible, tell us and we will factor it into the estimate; if you are not, the out-of-pocket maximum still caps the year. Second: what happens if treatment spans January 1? Deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums reset with the plan year, so a stay that begins in December and continues into January may involve two years of cost-sharing. We flag this when it applies and, where clinically appropriate, discuss how step-down levels of care fit. Neither question should keep you from calling today.
If You Are Calling for Someone Else
Spouses, parents, and adult children make a large share of first calls. You can verify benefits using the policyholder’s information, ask about bed availability, and get coaching on how to raise the subject—our guide to talking to a loved one about rehab is a good start. Walking into that conversation with “I checked, and it’s covered” removes one of the most common objections before it is raised.
How to Verify Your Carelon Benefits
- Online: Complete the secure verification form. We contact Carelon, confirm your deductible status, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, and authorization requirements, and call you back with a written estimate—usually within the hour during business hours.
- By phone: Call (678) 904-8617 with your member ID. We can often verify while you hold.
Have your insurance card, the policyholder’s name and date of birth, and a sense of what you are seeking help with. You can verify on behalf of a family member using the policyholder’s information. Verification is free and does not obligate you to anything.
Why Carelon Members Choose Promises Atlanta
Promises Atlanta is Joint Commission accredited and offers physician-led detox, residential treatment, integrated dual diagnosis care, and step-down programming on one campus in Dacula, Georgia. Our utilization review team has deep experience with managed behavioral health organizations and with the documentation they require. Learn more about Promises Atlanta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carelon the same as Beacon Health Options?
Yes. Beacon Health Options was rebranded as Carelon Behavioral Health in 2023 after its acquisition by Elevance Health. Cards and documents may still say Beacon. Promises Atlanta’s contract covers both.
Why does my card list Carelon when my insurance is Anthem?
Carelon administers behavioral health benefits for many Anthem plans and for other employers that carve out mental health and substance use coverage to a specialist. Your medical plan and your behavioral health administrator can be different companies.
Is Promises Atlanta in-network with Carelon?
Yes, for substance use and mental health treatment. Verify your benefits or call (678) 904-8617.
Does Carelon cover residential treatment?
Medically necessary detox, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient treatment are covered under parity requirements. Carelon requires prior authorization, which we handle.
What if I have Carelon through Georgia Medicaid?
Carelon administers behavioral health for some Medicaid managed care plans. Tell admissions what your card says and we will check eligibility directly.
Take the First Step Today
Promises Atlanta is located at 1200 Winder Hwy, Dacula, GA 30019, and our admissions team can answer questions, check your benefits, and often schedule an assessment the same day.