Free & Low-Cost Rehab Centers in Tennessee

233 of the 279 Tennessee programs in our directory don't charge, are government-run, offer reduced fees or accept Medicaid. Call a program to confirm what it charges and whether you qualify.

How Tennessee Programs Handle Cost

Each count comes from the payment details programs report in our directory. The counts overlap: a program with a sliding scale that also takes Medicaid appears in both. When one organization lists a site more than once, it counts once.

No payment accepted
10Programs that report they do not charge patients.
Government-run
1Run by a state, county or tribal agency. Some still bill insurance or use a sliding scale.
VA, military or IHS
4Run by the VA, the Department of Defense or the Indian Health Service. Only eligible veterans, military health system patients or American Indian and Alaska Native patients can use them.
Sliding fee scale
91The fee is based on your income and other factors.
Payment assistance
63The program offers some help paying. Ask what it covers.
Accepts Medicaid
195Takes TennCare. What's covered depends on your plan and the service.
State-financed insurance
146Accepts a state-funded health plan other than Medicaid.

Tennessee Programs with Free, Reduced-Fee or Medicaid Options

Programs that don't charge, are government-run or offer reduced fees are listed first, followed by programs whose low-cost option is Medicaid. Showing 41 to 60 of 233.

  • Cherokee Health Systems

    Knoxville, TN

    • Outpatient

    Substance use treatment · Does not treat opioid addiction · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Cherokee Health Systems

    Maynardville, TN

    • Outpatient

    Substance use treatment · Does not treat opioid addiction · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Cherokee Health Systems

    Morristown, TN

    • Outpatient

    Substance use treatment · Does not treat opioid addiction · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Cherokee Health Systems

    New Tazewell, TN

    • Outpatient

    Substance use treatment · Does not treat opioid addiction · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Cherokee Health Systems

    Newport, TN

    • Outpatient

    Substance use treatment · Does not treat opioid addiction · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Cherokee Health Systems

    Powell, TN

    • Outpatient

    Substance use treatment · Does not treat opioid addiction · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Cherokee Health Systems

    Seymour, TN

    • Outpatient

    Substance use treatment · Does not treat opioid addiction · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Cherokee Health Systems facility photo

    Cherokee Health Systems

    Talbott, TN

    • Outpatient

    Substance use treatment · Does not treat opioid addiction · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Cherokee Health Systems 5th Avenue

    Knoxville, TN

    • Outpatient

    Substance use treatment · Does not treat opioid addiction · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Council for Alcohol/DA Servs Inc (CADAS)

    Chattanooga, TN

    • Detox
    • Residential
    • PHP
    • IOP

    Substance use treatment · Substance abuse counseling · Trauma-related counseling

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, State-financed health insurance plan other than Medicaid

    Why it's listed:

    • Payment assistance
    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Dayspring Health facility photo

    Dayspring Health

    Jellico, TN

    • Outpatient
    • MAT

    Substance use treatment · Cognitive behavioral therapy · Substance abuse counseling

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Divine Trinity Outreach Center facility photo

    Divine Trinity Outreach Center

    Memphis, TN

    • IOP

    Substance use treatment · Accepts clients on opioid medication but prescribed elsewhere · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Sliding fee scale, Payment assistance

    Why it's listed:

    • Payment assistance
    • Sliding fee scale
  • Donnie Couch Counseling and Consulting facility photo

    Donnie Couch Counseling and Consulting

    Memphis, TN

    • PHP
    • IOP
    • Sober Living

    Substance use treatment · Accepts clients on opioid medication but prescribed elsewhere · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, State-financed health insurance plan other than Medicaid

    Why it's listed:

    • Payment assistance
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Educare facility photo

    Educare

    Franklin, TN

    • IOP

    Substance use treatment · Accepts clients on opioid medication but prescribed elsewhere · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Sliding fee scale, Payment assistance

    Why it's listed:

    • Payment assistance
    • Sliding fee scale
  • EM Jellinek Center facility photo

    EM Jellinek Center

    Knoxville, TN

    • Residential
    • Sober Living

    Substance use treatment · Does not use medication for opioid addiction · Accepts clients on opioid medication but prescribed elsewhere

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Payment assistance, Active duty military

    Why it's listed:

    • Payment assistance
  • For the People by the People

    Memphis, TN

    • IOP

    Substance use treatment · Does not treat opioid addiction · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, Medicare

    Why it's listed:

    • Payment assistance
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)
  • Frontier Health Adventure Program

    Johnson City, TN

    • IOP

    Substance use treatment · Accepts clients on opioid medication but prescribed elsewhere · Cognitive behavioral therapy

    Accepts: Cash or self-payment, Medicaid, State-financed health insurance plan other than Medicaid

    Why it's listed:

    • Payment assistance
    • Sliding fee scale
    • Medicaid
    • State-financed insurance (not Medicaid)

Need help finding treatment in Tennessee?

To talk with a treatment representative about programs and costs, call the sponsored hotline. It's available 24/7.

Who Qualifies for Free Treatment

There's no single national rule. Each state runs its own publicly funded treatment system and sets its own eligibility rules. In Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), Division of Substance Abuse Services oversees publicly funded substance use services.

Federal rules do set some priorities. Programs that get SAMHSA substance use block grant funds and serve women have to give pregnant women preference for admission. Funded programs that serve people who inject drugs give treatment preference in this order:

  1. Pregnant women who inject drugs
  2. Other pregnant women with a substance use disorder
  3. People who inject drugs
  4. Everyone else

A program that reports "no payment accepted" doesn't charge patients. Government-run programs may still bill insurance or use a sliding scale, and eligibility can depend on where you live, your income and whether you're insured. Ask before you go.

How to Apply in Tennessee

Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), Division of Substance Abuse Services is the Tennessee agency for publicly funded substance use treatment. Visit the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), Division of Substance Abuse Services website for help finding treatment.

  1. Call a program from the list above. Ask whether it has openings, what it charges and whether you qualify for a reduced or no-cost fee.
  2. Have your ID, proof of income and any insurance or Medicaid card ready. Programs may ask for them at intake.
  3. If you don't have insurance, contact SAMHSA's National Helpline. It's free, confidential and open 24/7, and it can refer you to Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), Division of Substance Abuse Services, which handles state-funded treatment.
  4. If you might qualify for Medicaid, apply now rather than waiting. Apply for TennCare.

Tennessee Rehabs That Accept Medicaid (TennCare)

195 of the 279 Tennessee programs in our directory say they accept Medicaid, and 146 accept a state-financed health plan other than Medicaid. Tennessee's Medicaid program is TennCare.

State Medicaid programs cover addiction treatment to different degrees. Whether detox, residential care, outpatient programs or medication for opioid use disorder are covered depends on Tennessee's rules and your plan, so check with both the program and your plan. Check eligibility and apply.

In Tennessee, substance use treatment programs are licensed or certified by Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Office of Licensure. Check the state's provider list.

Other Free and Low-Cost Options

Frequently Asked Questions

Is rehab free in Tennessee?

Some programs are. Of the 279 Tennessee programs in our directory, 10 report that they accept no payment, and 1 is run by a state, county or tribal agency. 4 more are run by the VA, the Department of Defense or the Indian Health Service. Those programs serve only eligible veterans, military health system patients or American Indian and Alaska Native patients. Government-run programs can still bill insurance or charge on a sliding scale, so ask about cost when you call. If you have no insurance, SAMHSA's National Helpline (see samhsa.gov) can refer you to Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), Division of Substance Abuse Services, which handles state-funded treatment.

Does Tennessee Medicaid cover rehab?

195 of the 279 Tennessee programs in our directory say they accept Medicaid. Tennessee's Medicaid program is TennCare. State Medicaid programs cover addiction treatment to different degrees, so ask the program and your Medicaid plan which services are covered before you start.

How much does rehab cost without insurance?

It depends on the type of care, how long it lasts and the program itself. Outpatient care usually costs less than a residential stay. In Tennessee, 91 programs in our directory use a sliding fee scale based on income, and 63 offer payment assistance. Ask for the self-pay rate and whether you qualify for a reduced fee before you're admitted.

Who gets priority for state-funded treatment?

Under federal block grant rules, programs that get block grant funds and serve women must give pregnant women preference for admission. Funded programs that serve people who inject drugs give treatment preference in this order: pregnant women who inject drugs, other pregnant women with a substance use disorder, people who inject drugs, and then everyone else (45 CFR 96.131). Other eligibility rules vary by state, so ask the program or Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), Division of Substance Abuse Services.

What is the difference between a sliding fee scale and payment assistance?

A sliding fee scale sets what you pay based on your income and other factors. Payment assistance varies more: each program decides what help it offers, so ask what's available and what paperwork you'll need.

Are there options for veterans and tribal members?

Yes. Veterans can ask the VA about substance use treatment through VA health care. American Indian and Alaska Native people can contact the Indian Health Service or a tribal health program about alcohol and substance use services.

Sources

  1. 1.SAMHSA National Helpline: referrals for uninsured callers to state-funded programs: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline
  2. 2.45 CFR 96.131, treatment services for pregnant women (admission priorities): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/96.131
  3. 3.SAMHSA Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/block-grants/subg
  4. 4.MACPAC: Access to substance use disorder treatment in Medicaid: https://www.macpac.gov/publication/access-to-substance-use-disorder-treatment-in-medicaid/
  5. 5.VA: substance use treatment for veterans: https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/substance-use-problems/
  6. 6.Indian Health Service: Alcohol and Substance Abuse Branch: https://www.ihs.gov/asab/
  7. 7.State source: https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/substance-abuse-services/treatment.html
  8. 8.State source: https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/substance-abuse-services/prevention/tennessee-redline.html
  9. 9.State source: https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/licensing/find-a-licensed-facility-or-service.html
  10. 10.State source: https://cloudmh.tn.gov/LicensureInquiry/
  11. 11.State source: https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/members-applicants/how-do-i-apply-for-tenncare.html
  12. 12.Program counts: payment and operator details each program reports in the Sober Nation directory (SAMHSA service categories): https://sobernation.com/rehabs/

Program counts: data updated September 2026.

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