What will rehab cost you?
Two things set what you pay: the price the program charges and three figures from your plan. Type them in to see your share. Further down: how the 402 programs in Tennessee can be paid.
Which programs take which payment in Tennessee
Each level of care, with the ways its programs take payment (SAMHSA listings, November 5, 2026). Public funding is money from the county, the state or the federal government for people who can't pay.
| Care level | Programs | Medicaid | Private health insurance | Sliding fee | Public funding programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supervised detox | 36 | 25 | 33 | 11 | 24 |
| Inpatient or residential | 65 | 41 | 54 | 14 | 48 |
| Outpatient, IOP or PHP | 367 | 296 | 314 | 144 | 279 |
| Medication for opioid use (MAT) | 183 | 151 | 153 | 55 | 133 |
Why you rarely see a price
Few programs post their prices. Cash rates can often be talked down. With insurance, your share turns on three things: the deductible, coinsurance and the network. A firm figure comes only once the program has looked up your benefits. This step is a verification of benefits. Ask for one before you are admitted, and get the answer in writing.
Care level
With a residential stay you get a bed, meals and staff day and night. Outpatient care has none of that.
Length
Billing is by the day or the week, so 60 days cost more than 30.
Network
An in-network program has a set price with your plan. Go out of network and you may get less from the plan, or nothing.
More help
Out of network, your yearly cap may not count. The program can also bill you for the gap between its own price and the plan's payment.
Extras
Medicine, lab tests and psychiatrist visits may be billed on their own. Check what the quote covers.
Costs that are easy to miss
- Aftercare. Therapy, medicine and sober housing once the program is over.
- Time off work. If you and your employer qualify, you can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave and keep your job, under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Wages are not paid during it. HR can tell you about short-term disability.
- Travel. Far-away programs mean travel costs, and family sessions get harder.
- Medicine after you leave. Prescriptions you start in treatment go on, with pharmacy copays.
Not sure what your plan pays for? Call (423) 509-6280 This paid referral line is answered by a partner, not a listed program.
How to pay less
Pick an in-network program.
The plan's set price and your yearly cap count only in network.Get your benefits check in writing.
Have the program call your plan, then ask it to send you what it learned: deductible, coinsurance, day limits.Ask about sliding fees and public funding.
In Tennessee, 149 programs set prices by income, and 297 report public funding. State-funded providers also treat uninsured Tennesseans who cannot pay.See if you qualify for Medicaid.
Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid, so TennCare covers adults only in certain groups, such as parents and caretakers, pregnant women, and people who are aged, blind or disabled. For members, TennCare covers addiction treatment, including medication for opioid use disorder, and since October 2025 short residential stays of up to 30 days a year for adults 21 to 64.Pay from an HSA or FSA.
To the IRS, inpatient care for alcohol or drug addiction is a medical expense (Publication 502), so you can pay with these accounts.Appeal if you are turned down.
A plan must give its reasons in writing. You can ask for an internal appeal, then an independent external review.
Sources we used
- Facility payment data: SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov. findtreatment.gov
- Summary of Benefits and Coverage — HealthCare.gov (CMS) www.healthcare.gov
- Appealing a health plan decision — HealthCare.gov (CMS) www.healthcare.gov
- Family and Medical Leave Act — U.S. Department of Labor www.dol.gov
- Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses — IRS www.irs.gov
- TennCare. www.tn.gov
We took the facility counts from the SAMHSA snapshot dated November 5, 2026.
The Tennessee Rehab editors checked this page against the sources above on November 5, 2026. How this site works.
Cost questions
Common questions
Why is there no average price here?
No trusted public source gives rehab prices for each state.
Details: Why there is no average price
Each program sets its own price, and many prices are negotiated. An average would mislead you. What counts is the program's quote, run through your plan's numbers.
Where are my deductible and out-of-pocket maximum listed?
Look in the Summary of Benefits and Coverage for your plan; every plan must give you one. Or call the member number on your card. Also ask how much of each you have used so far this year.
Does insurance pay for rehab at all?
Usually.
Details: Does insurance pay for rehab
Marketplace plans have to cover substance use treatment. In Tennessee, 332 of 402 listed programs take private insurance and 312 take Medicaid. Whether it pays still turns on medical need and the rules of your plan.
What if I have no money for rehab?
The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services contracts with community providers to treat people who have no insurance and no means to pay, from detox and residential care to outpatient treatment and medication for opioid use disorder. Here, 308 programs have sliding fees, payment help or places paid by public funds; free and low-cost programs.
Still working out how to cover rehab in Tennessee?
Check with programs about your plan, or use the referral line.
This paid referral line is answered by a partner, not a listed program.