Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in Dallas, Texas

15 list Medicaid on their records: Dallas County MHMR Center, Discovery Point Retreat, Homeward Bound Inc, Life Point Healthcare Servs of TX LLC, Nexus Family Recovery Center and 10 more. Call the program, then the member services number on your Medicaid card: most Texas Medicaid members are in a managed care health plan (STAR, STAR+PLUS, STAR Kids or STAR Health), and the program has to be in that plan's network.

15 accept private insurance, 13 Medicare and 8 TRICARE. The plans named most on their own websites: Aetna (7), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (7), Cigna (6) and UnitedHealthcare (6). A program that doesn't name your plan may still take it: call the number on your insurance card and ask whether the program is in network for MAT, whether you need prior authorization, and what you'll pay.

Cima Find Care doesn't list prices: what you pay depends on your insurance, the program and how long you need care. Of these 18 programs, 16 take cash or self-pay, 9 have a sliding-scale fee set by income and 9 list state or federal funding for substance use treatment, which can pay for people without insurance. Before you start, ask the program to check your benefits and to put the daily or weekly price in writing.

There's no set end. Many people take their medicine for months or years, and staying on it lowers the risk of relapse and overdose. Stopping is a decision to make with your prescriber, slowly, not on your own.

A photo ID, your insurance or Medicaid card, a list of everything you take, and your pharmacy's name. Tell the prescriber what you've been using: it's safer, and it's confidential. Before a first dose of buprenorphine you usually need to be in some withdrawal, so ask when to stop using before the visit.

In an emergency, call 911. In a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988, any time. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, is free, confidential and open all day, every day, and can refer you to treatment.