Methadone Clinics in New York

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Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in New York State

New York State has one of the most developed opioid treatment infrastructures in the country, with licensed programs concentrated in New York City and the major upstate cities, and a growing telehealth and office-based network reaching areas where clinic-based care is hours away. Whether you are looking for a methadone program, a Suboxone prescriber, or an extended-release injection option, the listings on this page are a starting point. The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) certifies and oversees these programs, and the state’s Medicaid program covers all three FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder (OUD). Use the directory to find providers near you, then call or use the helpline on this page to take the next step.

Your Options: Three Medications, Two Settings

Three medications are FDA-approved to treat opioid use disorder, and they work through different mechanisms. Which one fits depends on your medical history, your daily schedule, and what you and a clinician decide together.

Methadone is a full opioid agonist that reduces cravings and prevents withdrawal by activating opioid receptors. Because it is tightly regulated under federal law, methadone for OUD can only be dispensed through a SAMHSA-certified opioid treatment program (OTP). In New York State, OASAS certifies these programs under Article 32. You pick up doses at the program on a schedule that starts with daily visits and can shift to weekly or monthly take-home doses as you become stable in treatment. Learn more about how opioid treatment programs operate and the specifics of methadone treatment.

Buprenorphine (including Suboxone and other buprenorphine-naloxone products, and the extended-release injectable form Sublocade) is a partial opioid agonist. Since 2023, any clinician with a standard DEA registration that includes Schedule III authority can prescribe buprenorphine for OUD, without a special waiver. That means a primary care doctor, an OB/GYN, a telehealth provider, or an OASAS-certified clinic can all be valid starting points. You fill the prescription at a pharmacy like any other medication. For a side-by-side comparison of methadone and buprenorphine, see how methadone and Suboxone compare.

Naltrexone (including the monthly Vivitrol injection) is an opioid antagonist that blocks opioid effects rather than activating receptors. It is not a controlled substance and can be prescribed by any licensed provider. The important constraint is timing: you need to be opioid-free for a set period before starting, or you will go into precipitated withdrawal. Naltrexone may suit people who have already been off opioids for a period and want continued support.

New York State Rules, Funding, and Access

The New York State Department of Health and OASAS administer the state’s treatment system. Several features of New York’s rules directly affect what you can access and how.

Medicaid coverage. New York Medicaid covers all three FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder, including methadone dispensed through OTPs, all buprenorphine formulations, and injectable naltrexone. OTP services are explicitly exempt from New York’s Recipient Restriction Program (RRP), which means that even Medicaid members who have been placed on managed care restrictions can access OTP services without prior authorization, referrals, or plan approval (New York State Department of Health, Medicaid Update, March 2025). If you have Medicaid, cost should not be a barrier to getting into an OTP. For buprenorphine prescribed in an office-based setting, coverage runs through your Medicaid plan or managed care organization; confirm specific authorization requirements with the prescriber.

Take-home methadone. Federal rules updated in 2024 under 42 CFR Part 8 expanded take-home methadone doses (up to a 28-day supply for stable patients), and New York State programs adopted these flexibilities. OASAS supported the expansion of take-home dosing from the start of the COVID-era flexibilities, and the state’s Medicaid billing system was updated to support bundle reimbursement for periods when patients have take-home doses. Eligibility is still determined program by program based on your stability in treatment. If reducing your visit frequency is a priority, ask about the take-home schedule directly when you call a program. Read more about staying consistent with your methadone dose and what long-term methadone treatment looks like in practice.

Telehealth. Buprenorphine can be started through telehealth in New York State, including by phone in many cases, without a prior in-person visit. A federal permanent rule took effect December 31, 2025, and a fourth temporary extension of COVID-era flexibilities runs through December 31, 2026. New York’s own telehealth parity law, which requires equivalent coverage for telehealth services, was in effect through April 2026 with legislation to extend it moving through the Legislature. Telehealth initiation of methadone is available only via audio-visual contact within an OTP, not audio-only, and not outside a certified program. Confirm current options with any provider before your first appointment.

Private insurance. Part AA of Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2024 requires commercial insurers to reimburse OASAS-certified outpatient treatment, including OTP services, at rates at or above Medicaid. This took effect January 1, 2025, and improves the financial position of OTPs for patients with private coverage. Self-pay and sliding-scale arrangements remain available at many programs; ask when you call.

Overdose Deaths and the Fentanyl Picture in New York

New York State recorded an estimated 4,567 drug overdose deaths in 2024, down 32 percent from 6,688 in 2023, according to preliminary CDC data released by Governor Hochul’s office in May 2025. About 77 percent of those deaths involved an opioid, including fentanyl. In New York City, which accounts for a substantial share of statewide deaths, the count was 2,192 in 2024, a 28 percent drop from 3,046 in 2023 (New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor, 2025). Fentanyl was present in 73 percent of New York City overdose deaths in 2024, and xylazine, a non-opioid sedative that complicates overdose reversal, was involved in 21 percent.

The decline is meaningful, but the racial and geographic pattern of who is dying has not shifted proportionally. Death rates remain highest among Black and Latino New Yorkers and residents of high-poverty neighborhoods (NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2024). Effective medication treatment is available, and the programs in this directory are part of why 2024 looked different from the years before it.

How to Find and Start Treatment in New York

The OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard lets you search for certified programs by medication, location, and type, which is a useful starting point for OTP-based methadone. For buprenorphine, any provider with a standard DEA registration can prescribe it, so options extend well beyond OASAS-certified facilities to primary care clinics, telehealth services, and hospital programs.

When you call a program, ask what identification or documentation they need for intake, whether they are accepting new patients, what medications they offer, and what insurance or self-pay options are available. Most intake processes include a clinical assessment and medical history review. Starting buprenorphine requires timing your first dose carefully, especially if you have been using fentanyl: taking it too soon can trigger sudden, severe withdrawal (precipitated withdrawal), so a clinician will guide you on when to begin. Learn more about treatment for opioid use disorder and, if inpatient stabilization is relevant, about inpatient options as a possible first step before outpatient medication treatment.

New York’s MATTERS network (Medication for Addiction Treatment and Electronic Referrals) connects people to buprenorphine prescribers through emergency departments, OB/GYN offices, correctional facilities, inpatient units, and community-based settings statewide. If you or someone you care about ends up in an emergency room, ask the clinical team whether they can start a buprenorphine bridge prescription or make a MATTERS referral before discharge.

Pregnancy, Reentry, and People Who Face Higher Barriers

Pregnancy and the perinatal period. Methadone and buprenorphine are both recommended for pregnant people with OUD. Stopping opioids abruptly during pregnancy carries serious risks to the pregnancy; continuing or starting medication is the clinical standard, not a compromise. Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) in newborns is manageable and treatable, and the outcome research supports medication treatment over no treatment. If you are pregnant and concerned about child welfare involvement, the most protective step is to be in consistent treatment, which is what a Plan of Safe Care supports. Talk to a provider or call the state HOPEline about finding a program experienced with perinatal care. For more on methadone during pregnancy, see methadone and pregnancy.

People leaving incarceration. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) runs a medication treatment program across all 42 state correctional facilities, contracting with 14 OTPs to provide methadone and stocking injectable buprenorphine products at 18 of its 19 pharmacies. If you are being released from a state facility and are in the DOCCS MOUD program, ask your reentry team to connect you to a community OTP or buprenorphine prescriber before you leave. The period immediately after release is one of the highest-risk times for overdose; continuity of medication is the most important protective factor. People on probation or drug court conditions should ask their supervising officer specifically whether medication treatment satisfies program requirements, which it typically does under federal law.

Naloxone and Overdose Prevention

Any pharmacy in New York State can dispense naloxone (Narcan) without a prescription, under a statewide standing order issued by the NYS Department of Health Commissioner. You do not need your own prescription; ask at the pharmacy counter and present your insurance card if you have one. The Naloxone Co-payment Assistance Program (N-CAP) covers up to $40 in copays for insured patients. If you have no insurance, free naloxone is available through OASAS-registered community overdose prevention programs, and OASAS also offers a free online ordering portal where any state resident can order naloxone kits, fentanyl test strips, and xylazine test strips at no cost. As of April 2025, the state had distributed more than 537,600 naloxone kits through the health department and over 296,000 through the online portal.

New York’s 911 Good Samaritan Law provides limited immunity from arrest and prosecution for minor drug offenses when someone calls for help at an overdose. If you witness an overdose, call 911. For information on using naloxone, see responding to an overdose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does New York Medicaid cover methadone treatment at an OTP?
Yes. New York Medicaid covers OTP services, including methadone maintenance treatment. And unlike most other Medicaid services, OTP access is exempt from the Recipient Restriction Program, meaning you do not need a referral or prior authorization from a primary care provider, even if you are on managed care restrictions (New York State Department of Health, 2025). Contact the specific OTP to confirm which Medicaid managed care plans they accept.

Can I start Suboxone or buprenorphine by telehealth without going in person first?
Yes, in most cases. As of June 2026, buprenorphine can be started through telehealth, including by phone in many situations, without a prior in-person visit. A federal permanent rule and a temporary extension both support this. New York’s own telehealth coverage rules add a layer of state-level protection. Confirm what a specific provider requires before your first appointment, because individual programs set their own protocols within what the law allows. See common treatment questions for more.

Does methadone treatment require daily clinic visits?
It does at the beginning, but not indefinitely. Federal rules updated in 2024 allow up to a 28-day supply of take-home methadone for stable patients, and programs can offer take-home doses earlier in treatment than was previously allowed. New York OTPs adopted these flexibilities. How quickly you move to a less frequent schedule depends on the program’s assessment of your stability. Ask about the take-home policy when you call. More on long-term methadone maintenance.

Is medication treatment just replacing one drug with another?
No. Methadone and buprenorphine treat opioid use disorder the way medications treat other chronic conditions: they stabilize the brain chemistry disrupted by prolonged opioid use, prevent withdrawal, and reduce the pull toward continued use. Decades of research show they reduce overdose deaths, improve social functioning, and support long-term recovery. The framing of “trading one addiction for another” is a stigma-based mischaracterization that federal clinical guidance from SAMHSA and NIDA explicitly rejects. For families trying to understand this, see information for families.

Can I get treatment if I was recently released from jail or prison?
Yes. New York programs can and do enroll people immediately after release, and most do not require prior treatment history or a waiting period. If you were in a DOCCS facility receiving methadone or injectable buprenorphine, ask your reentry team to coordinate a warm handoff to a community program before you leave. If you are coming out of a county jail, contact an OTP or MATTERS-connected program as quickly as possible after release. The first days out are the highest-risk period.

How do I find out if a program is taking new patients?
Call the programs listed on this page directly and ask. The OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard also shows real-time availability for some certified programs. Availability changes frequently. If the first program you call is full, ask whether they have a waitlist and call the next one. See common questions about methadone and how long treatment typically continues.

Last reviewed June 2026.

Sources:

• Governor Kathy Hochul, Office of the Governor of New York State. “Governor Hochul Announces Dramatic Decline in Overdose Deaths in New York State.” May 2025. governor.ny.gov
• New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor. “Opioid Crisis.” 2025. snpnyc.org
• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. “Health Department Announces Drug Overdose Deaths in 2023 Decreased Slightly.” October 2024. nyc.gov
• New York State Department of Health. “New York State Medicaid Update.” March 2025 and June 2025. health.ny.gov
• New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). “Methadone Dosing at New York State Opioid Treatment Programs Following Initial Revisions to Federal Regulations.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2024. oasas.ny.gov
• New York State Department of Health. “Standing Order for Naloxone in Pharmacies.” health.ny.gov
• SAMHSA. “Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder.” Final Rule, 42 CFR Part 8. Federal Register, February 2, 2024. federalregister.gov
• New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). “Medication-Assisted Treatment 2025 Legislative Report.” September 2025. doccs.ny.gov
• OASAS. “Community Overdose Prevention Education.” oasas.ny.gov
• New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. “Ambulatory Providers: APG Guidance.” 2024-2025. oasas.ny.gov

This site is not a treatment provider. The listings and information on this page are for informational and directory purposes only and do not constitute medical advice, a referral, or a recommendation of any specific provider. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your treatment options.

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