Substance Use Disorder

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment encompasses medical and therapeutic services for alcohol and drug dependency. TRICARE covers SUD treatment as a behavioral health benefit, subject to mental health parity requirements that ensure coverage is comparable to medical and surgical benefits.

SUD treatment services covered by TRICARE: • Medical detoxification • Inpatient rehabilitation programs • Residential treatment • Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) • Partial hospitalization programs • Individual and group counseling • Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) • Aftercare and relapse prevention programs

Accessing SUD treatment: • TRICARE Prime: Self-referral for first 8 outpatient visits per year; PCM referral for additional sessions • TRICARE Select: No referral needed • Emergency SUD treatment: Always covered without prior authorization • Confidential resources available through Military OneSource

Special considerations for military members: • Active duty members have access to specialized military SUD programs • Confidentiality protections exist for seeking treatment • Military OneSource offers confidential non-medical counseling • Treatment does not automatically affect security clearance

Cost-sharing for SUD treatment: • Standard TRICARE behavioral health cost-sharing applies • Inpatient treatment subject to per-day or per-admission charges • Outpatient counseling subject to standard copays/cost-shares • All costs count toward the catastrophic cap

TRICARE's SUD coverage ensures beneficiaries can access the treatment they need to overcome addiction and maintain their health and readiness.