This page is for people in Pennsylvania who have Medicaid or no insurance at all, and for the family members helping them search. The facility list on this page shows the 542 Pennsylvania facilities in our directory that accept Medicaid. The sections below explain what Medical Assistance covers, how to apply, how county-funded treatment works if you do not qualify, and who to call today.
In Pennsylvania, Medicaid is called Medical Assistance
Pennsylvania's Medicaid program is called Medical Assistance, or MA. For Medicaid rehab in Pennsylvania, MA is delivered through HealthChoices managed care plans. The 2010 Affordable Care Act made substance use disorder treatment an essential health benefit for the plans the law covers.
Before you choose a program, call the member services number on your card and ask whether the facility is in network for the level of care you need.
Across all 866 Pennsylvania facilities in our directory, not only those that accept Medicaid, outpatient care is the most common service, listed at 554 facilities, while medical detox is listed at 50.
Other services are less common but still widely offered. Among the same 866 facilities, 218 treat co-occurring mental health conditions along with addiction, 137 provide virtual or in-home care, 131 offer day treatment or partial hospitalization, 99 offer residential rehab, and 93 run intensive outpatient programs.
Who qualifies for Medical Assistance, and how to apply
In states that expanded Medicaid, adults can qualify with income up to 138% of the federal poverty level. To apply in Pennsylvania, use COMPASS, the state's application site.
You can apply in any month of the year. In most states, coverage can be backdated up to three months, though some states have waived this.
While your application is pending, contact your county's Single County Authority about state-funded treatment, described in the next section, and ask any program you are considering whether it offers a sliding scale.
If you do not have Medicaid: state-funded rehab
Substance use treatment in Pennsylvania is overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), which also licenses the state's drug and alcohol treatment facilities.
State-funded rehab is reached through your county. Each county has a Single County Authority, or SCA, that funds treatment for residents without insurance. If you are looking for free rehab in Pennsylvania and have no insurance, contact the SCA in the county where you live.
Programs that receive federal SAMHSA block grant funding must serve people who cannot pay, often by charging on a sliding scale based on income. This does not mean every program offers free care or has an opening. If you are pregnant, or if you inject drugs, tell the intake staff, because both groups receive priority admission at these programs.
Many state-funded programs have waitlists for residential beds and shorter waits for outpatient care. If the residential program you want is full, ask whether you can begin outpatient care while you wait, and ask the SCA about other programs in your region. No one can guarantee a bed by a specific date, but getting on a list early and staying in contact with the program can help.
What treatment costs if you are paying yourself
Cost depends on the program, the level of care and your income. A night of residential care and a weekly outpatient session are priced very differently, and two programs offering the same service may charge different amounts.
A sliding scale sets your fee based on what you earn. When you call a program, ask three questions: Do you accept Medical Assistance? Do you have a sliding scale? Do you receive funding through my county's SCA?
Medicaid-accepting facilities in our Pennsylvania directory
The facility list on this page is pulled directly from our database. If you are looking for Medicaid rehab in Pennsylvania, 542 of the 866 facilities in our directory, which span 244 cities and towns, accept Medicaid.
These cities have the most facilities that accept Medicaid:
- Philadelphia, 75 facilities
- Pittsburgh, 30
- Erie, 19
- Washington, PA, 14
- Lancaster, 12
The chart shows the same five cities side by side.
Smaller towns have options as well. Family Counseling Center of Armstrong County, in Leechburg, accepts Medicaid, as do the Freedom Healthcare Services locations in Bridgeville and Ellwood City. These are examples from our listings, not recommendations, so check that any program fits your needs. You can also browse our Pennsylvania rehab directory. For peer support alongside treatment, our Pennsylvania meetings list includes 2,857 AA meetings and 1,022 NA meetings; confirm details with the group.
Official Pennsylvania resources
- Pennsylvania Medical Assistance (apply via COMPASS), where you apply for MA.
- Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, where you can read about the state agency that oversees and licenses drug and alcohol treatment.
- PA 211, a free, confidential way to find local health and human services programs, including substance abuse programs: call 211, text your zip code to 898-211, or search online.
How to get started today
Where you start depends on your situation: whether you have Medicaid, have no coverage yet, or need help today.
If you have Medical Assistance, call your HealthChoices plan or contact one of the programs in the facility list on this page. If you are not sure your coverage applies, start with our insurance verification.
If you have no coverage, apply for MA through COMPASS, then ask your county's SCA about state-funded treatment.
If you need help finding treatment today, call 1-800-662-4357. This is the number for SAMHSA's National Helpline, and it is also the number Pennsylvania lists for its Get Help Now line. The call is free and confidential, and it is answered 24 hours a day in English and Spanish.
