Does Medicaid cover rehab?
Medicaid is the joint federal and state health program for people with limited income, including children, pregnant women, adults, older adults and people with disabilities. Each state runs its own, so what is covered, and the health plans that run it, differ by state. In most states, most members are in a managed care plan with its own list of programs.
This is general information, not a guarantee of coverage. What your plan pays depends on your plan, your state, whether the program is in network, and whether your plan decides the care is medically necessary. Call the number on your card, then the program, before you start.
What it usually covers, by level of care
| Level of care | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Detox (medically managed withdrawal) | Usually covered in a hospital when medically necessary. Coverage of detox outside a hospital, and any prior authorization, varies by state; many states added it through special waivers. |
| Residential rehab | Varies the most by state. A federal rule limits Medicaid payment for adults 21 to 64 in treatment centers with more than 16 beds, but most states now have a special waiver (a Section 1115 waiver) to cover short residential stays, often aiming for an average of about 30 days. Ask your plan. |
| Partial hospitalization (PHP) | Covered in some states but not all: partial hospitalization is one of the most common gaps in Medicaid's addiction benefits. Where it is covered, expect prior authorization. |
| Intensive outpatient (IOP) | Covered in most states, usually through a program in your health plan's network. |
| Outpatient therapy and medication | Every state's Medicaid must cover all FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder, with counseling. Coverage of other counseling, of medications for alcohol use disorder, and any approval steps vary by state. |
How to check
- Your Medicaid card names your health plan. Call its member services number and ask which programs near you are in network.
- A program that takes one state's Medicaid may not take another's, and may take the state's fee-for-service Medicaid but not every managed care plan.
- Ask whether the program needs a referral or prior authorization from your plan.
Call a program and ask
Call the program and ask them to verify your benefits; it's free and takes a few minutes.
- Do you accept Medicaid for substance use treatment, and for which levels of care?
- Are you in network for my exact plan, and is prior authorization needed?
- What would I pay a day or a week, and when is the next opening for an assessment?
Call the program yourself: Find Care doesn't take your insurance details, collect your name or pass anything to a program for you. This is general information, not a guarantee of coverage. What your plan pays depends on your plan, your state, whether the program is in network, and whether your plan decides the care is medically necessary. Call the number on your card, then the program, before you start.
Sources to check this against: Medicaid.gov: Section 1115 waivers for substance use disorders · CMS letter to states on covering medications for opioid use disorder (SHO 20-005) · Congressional Research Service: the 2024 law that made that coverage permanent · MACPAC: access to substance use disorder treatment in Medicaid · Medicaid.gov: managed care enrollment. Written by Find Care as general information; not reviewed or endorsed by any of them.
Programs that list Medicaid
- Texas 251
- Arizona 213
- Kentucky 189
- Colorado 145
- Tennessee 136
- Louisiana 127
- Missouri 89
- Kansas 85
- Oklahoma 78
- New Mexico 76
- Arkansas 70
- Alabama 66
- Mississippi 41
Counted by organization, only where at least 3 list it. Not every program that takes Medicaid says so publicly.
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If you are in crisis, call or text 988. For help finding treatment, SAMHSA's National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357.