A recent study from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that a significant portion of the population deal with addictions to alcohol, tobacco or illicit drugs.

In total, 16 percent of Americans over the age of 11, which is approximately 40 million people, deal with addiction issues, HealthDay reported, citing the study. Furthermore, approximately 80 million Americans - nearly one-third of the population - are high-risk substance users, as they typically use these substances in an unsafe way.

The report also noted that approximately 10 percent of substance abusers get treatment for their illness. Much of this may be due to physicians and other members of the healthcare industry not being able to identify such illnesses.

"This report shows that misperceptions about the disease of addiction are undermining medical care," said Drew Altman, president of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

While substance abuse programs are available, many consumers may need to have a comprehensive healthcare policy to ensure they can pay for treatment. One way to do this is to seek out a plan with affordable health insurance rates, and select from a group of options.