Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare
Minnesota's Medicaid coverage comes through two programs: Medical Assistance, usually shortened to MA, and MinnesotaCare. Nationally, Medicaid is the single largest payer for substance use and mental health treatment.
For Medicaid rehab in Minnesota, our directory lists 315 facilities that accept Medicaid. Across all 561 facilities in our full Minnesota directory, listed services include detox, residential rehab, outpatient programs and co-occurring mental health care. Your plan decides what applies to you, so before you start, ask the plan or the program which of those services it will pay for. The Minnesota Department of Human Services licenses substance use disorder treatment programs under Chapter 245G.
The chart shows the services listed at the 561 treatment facilities in our Minnesota directory. Outpatient care is listed at 311 of them, co-occurring mental health care at 120, virtual or in-home care at 77, residential rehab at 58, partial hospitalization at 55, intensive outpatient programs at 27 and medical detox at 5. Because so few list detox, if you need help getting through withdrawal safely, ask any outpatient or residential program whether it provides detox or where it refers people for it.
Who qualifies and how to apply
You can apply for MA through MNbenefits. Applications are accepted any month of the year, so you don't have to wait for an enrollment period.
When you apply, ask whether your coverage can be backdated. For MA, coverage can start as early as the first day of the month three months before the month you applied, if you met every eligibility rule in each of those months, so treatment you start before approval might still be covered. MinnesotaCare does not normally cover past months. The only exception is retroactive MinnesotaCare that fills the gap after MA closes, and you have to apply within 30 days of MA ending, so confirm the rules before you count on it.
Don't put off calling a program while you wait on your application. Tell the program your application is pending and ask what it can offer in the meantime.
State-funded treatment if you don't have Medicaid
The Minnesota Department of Human Services, Behavioral Health Division, is the state's substance use agency. In Minnesota, state-funded rehab is paid for through the Behavioral Health Fund, formerly called the Consolidated Chemical Dependency Treatment Fund. The fund pays for treatment for residents who don't qualify for MA.
Under Direct Access, a licensed provider does the comprehensive assessment and can start treatment without a county Rule 25 assessment first. That means you can call a licensed program directly and ask it to do the assessment.
Many programs that receive federal SAMHSA block grant funding serve people who can't pay, often on a sliding scale by income. If you're looking for free rehab in Minnesota, ask each program whether it receives block grant funding and whether it can serve you at no cost. Pregnant women and people who inject drugs are given priority admission at these programs.
Waits are common. Many programs that offer state-funded rehab have waitlists for residential beds, and outpatient openings usually come up sooner. If a residential program tells you there will be a wait, ask whether you can start outpatient care while you hold your place on the list.
How fees are set without coverage
On a sliding scale, your fee is based on your income.
Because programs quote fees based on income, have a recent pay stub or tax return ready when you call. Ask what the fee would be at your income, what it covers and whether it changes if you move from residential to outpatient care. If the quote is more than you can pay, ask whether the program takes Behavioral Health Fund clients before you rule it out.
Facilities in our directory that accept Medicaid
The facility list on this page comes straight from our database. It shows the 315 Minnesota programs that list Medicaid as accepted, drawn from a full directory that covers 123 cities and towns. The cities with the most Medicaid-accepting facilities are:
- Minneapolis, with 65
- Saint Paul, with 26
- Duluth, with 12
- Rochester, with 8
- Saint Cloud, with 7
The chart shows where Medicaid rehab in Minnesota is concentrated in our directory. Minneapolis alone has more Medicaid-accepting facilities than the other four cities put together.
A few examples from the list are Guild South in South Saint Paul and Four Winds Lodge Program in Brainerd. In Duluth, The Superior Treatment Center and Human Development Center - St. Louis County both accept Medicaid. Before you go, confirm with the program that it's taking new Medicaid clients and offers the level of care you need.
For every treatment option, including programs that don't take Medicaid, see the Minnesota rehab directory. If you'd like peer support alongside treatment or while you wait, we list 2,061 AA meetings and 210 NA meetings on our Minnesota meetings page.
Civil commitment, for families
Minnesota allows civil commitment for chemical dependency under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 253B. Some families look into it when someone they love is in danger and won't accept treatment. It is a court process: commitment starts when someone files a petition with the court, and the court must hold a hearing on the petition within 14 days of filing, which it can extend by up to 30 days for good cause. Before you start, contact your county and an attorney to learn how it works where you live.
Official Minnesota resources
- Medical Assistance (apply via MNbenefits): apply for MA online, any month of the year.
- Minnesota 211: a free, confidential information line staffed 24/7, where you can dial 2-1-1, call 800-543-7709 toll-free or text your ZIP code to 898-211 to be connected to resources including mental health and addiction services.
- Minnesota DHS substance use disorder services: read the state's information on substance use disorder services.
- Minnesota Behavioral Health Fund: learn how the fund pays for treatment if you don't qualify for MA.
How to start today
The diagram shows three starting points, depending on whether you have Medicaid, have no coverage or need help right now.
If you have MA or MinnesotaCare, call your plan or choose a program from the facility list on this page and ask about openings. To check your coverage, use our insurance verification.
If you don't have coverage, apply for MA and, at the same time, call a licensed program and ask about the Behavioral Health Fund and sliding-scale fees.
If you need help today, SAMHSA's National Helpline is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, in English and Spanish: 1-800-662-4357. If you or someone you're with is thinking about suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988.
