Recreate Life Counseling provides partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment for substance use and mental health in Boynton Beach, Florida. If you, your spouse or your parent is covered by TRICARE, this page explains what TRICARE covers for addiction treatment, which plan rules apply to you, what you can expect to pay, and how to check all of it before you start.
Our admissions team verifies TRICARE benefits for free. Network status and your exact cost depend on your plan and region, so we confirm both with your regional contractor and give you a written estimate before you commit to anything.
Does TRICARE cover addiction treatment?
Yes. TRICARE covers medically necessary treatment for substance use disorders and mental health conditions, including detoxification, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, outpatient therapy and medication-assisted treatment. Co-occurring conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder are covered under the same behavioral health benefit.
Two conditions apply to every level of care:
- The provider must be TRICARE-authorized. Authorized means TRICARE has approved the facility to deliver that type of care. It is not the same as being in network. An authorized provider can be network or non-network, and that difference changes what you pay.
- The care must be medically necessary. A clinical assessment has to show that the level of care fits your needs, using criteria that weigh withdrawal risk, medical and psychiatric conditions, relapse risk and your living situation.
TRICARE no longer applies annual day limits to mental health and substance use treatment. Coverage continues for as long as the care remains medically necessary.
Who TRICARE covers and which plan you have
TRICARE is the health program of the Military Health System. It covers uniformed service members, military retirees, National Guard and Reserve members, and their families. It is separate from the VA. Veterans who served but did not retire from the military generally get care through the VA rather than TRICARE.
Your plan decides whether you need a referral and how much flexibility you have in choosing a program.
| Plan | Who it is for | What it means for treatment |
|---|---|---|
| TRICARE Prime | Active duty service members (required), their families, and retirees and families who enroll | Your primary care manager coordinates care. A referral is usually needed before civilian specialty care such as PHP or IOP is covered. |
| TRICARE Prime Remote | Active duty members and families stationed far from a military hospital or clinic | Works like Prime, using civilian network providers. |
| TRICARE Select | Families, retirees and others not enrolled in Prime | No referral needed. You can use network or non-network authorized providers, with lower costs in network. |
| TRICARE Reserve Select and TRICARE Retired Reserve | Selected Reserve members, and retired reservists under 60, and their families | Premium-based plans that work like Select. |
| TRICARE Young Adult | Adult children of sponsors who have aged out of regular TRICARE, up to age 26 | Offered as a Prime or Select option, with the matching rules. |
| TRICARE For Life | Beneficiaries with both Medicare Part A and Part B | Medicare pays first and TRICARE For Life pays second. |
| US Family Health Plan | A Prime option through designated health systems in a few regions | You must use that plan’s own network. It is not offered in Florida. |
Active duty service members: civilian substance use treatment is normally coordinated through your primary care manager and your installation’s substance use program. Talk to them before you start so the care is referred and covered.
TRICARE East and West: who runs your benefits
TRICARE in the United States is split into two regions, each run by a regional contractor that manages the provider network, referrals, authorizations and claims. Since January 1, 2025:
- TRICARE East is administered by Humana Military. Florida is in the East Region.
- TRICARE West is administered by TriWest Healthcare Alliance.
Your region follows where you live and are enrolled, not where you get treatment. A family enrolled in the West Region can still be treated in Florida, but TriWest stays their contractor. We confirm which contractor handles your plan during the benefits check.
Levels of care TRICARE covers, and what Recreate provides
Recreate provides the outpatient part of the continuum: PHP and IOP. If you need medically supervised withdrawal management or 24-hour care first, our admissions team refers you to a partner program and brings you into ours when you are ready to step down.
| Level of care | TRICARE coverage | At Recreate |
|---|---|---|
| Detox and withdrawal management | Covered when medically necessary | Referral to a partner program |
| Residential treatment | Covered at authorized facilities | Referral |
| Partial hospitalization program (PHP) | Covered at authorized PHP facilities. TRICARE does not require pre-authorization for PHP, though Prime enrollees still need a referral. | Yes |
| Intensive outpatient program (IOP) | Covered. Your regional contractor decides whether pre-authorization is required. | Yes |
| Individual, group and family therapy | Covered | Yes, as part of PHP and IOP |
| Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) | Covered, including buprenorphine and naltrexone | Coordinated with prescribing providers |
| Dual diagnosis treatment | Covered | Yes |
PHP and IOP suit people who are medically stable and safe at home or in recovery housing but need more than a weekly therapy appointment. If you are at risk of severe withdrawal, are in a mental health crisis, or are not safe, the right first step is a hospital or detox program. We help arrange that and keep a place for you afterward.
What you will pay with TRICARE
Active duty service members pay nothing for covered care. For everyone else, cost depends on five things:
- Your plan, Prime or Select, and whether you pay an annual enrollment fee.
- Your beneficiary category. Active duty families pay the least, and retirees and their families pay more.
- Your group. Group A (the sponsor joined before January 1, 2018) and Group B have different cost shares.
- Network status. Network providers bill at TRICARE’s negotiated rate. A non-participating, non-network provider can bill up to 15 percent above the TRICARE allowable charge.
- The catastrophic cap, which limits what your family pays for covered care in a calendar year.
| Network provider | Non-network provider | |
|---|---|---|
| TRICARE Prime | Lowest cost. Active duty families pay no copays for most network care. | Without a referral, point-of-service charges apply: a deductible, then 50 percent of the allowed amount. |
| TRICARE Select | Annual deductible, then a fixed copayment | Annual deductible, then a higher percentage cost share, plus up to 15 percent above the allowable charge if the provider does not participate |
Exact figures change every calendar year, so we do not list them here. Our benefits check pulls your current numbers and turns them into an estimate for the program we recommend.
How to use TRICARE for treatment at Recreate
- Have your military ID or the sponsor’s information ready, and know your plan and region if you can.
- If you are on Prime or on active duty, ask your primary care manager for a referral. We can coordinate with their office.
- Call us or complete the confidential form on this page. An admissions counselor takes your information and a few details about what is going on.
- We contact your regional contractor to confirm eligibility, authorized and network status, referral and authorization requirements, and your cost shares.
- You get a written estimate before you agree to anything. If you move forward, we complete a clinical assessment and schedule your start date.
You can also check yourself by calling your regional contractor and asking two questions: is Recreate Life Counseling in Boynton Beach, Florida a TRICARE-authorized network provider, and what are my benefits for partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment.
Choosing a program that accepts TRICARE
Accepting TRICARE is the starting point, not a measure of quality. These are the things worth checking with any program, including ours.
- Authorization and accreditation. Confirm the program is TRICARE-authorized for the level of care you need, licensed by the state, and accredited. Recreate Life Counseling is accredited by The Joint Commission and licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families.
- Evidence-based care. Ask which therapies are used. Cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, EMDR for trauma and medication-assisted treatment all have research behind them.
- Experience with military life. Deployments, frequent moves, combat exposure and time away from family shape how addiction develops. Trauma-informed care and a team that understands PTSD and addiction together matter more than amenities.
- Family involvement. Spouses and children carry a lot during treatment. Look for family therapy and family programming, not only individual sessions.
- Aftercare that moves with you. A PCS move should not end your recovery plan. Ask how aftercare, alumni support and relapse prevention continue if you relocate.
- A straight answer on cost. You should have a written estimate before you start. Be cautious of any program that wants you to commit first and sort out coverage later.
Other support for military families
- Military OneSource offers free, confidential non-medical counseling for service members and families.
- The Defense Health Agency’s inTransition program helps service members keep mental health care going during moves, separation and other transitions.
- The TRICARE covered services pages list what each plan covers, straight from the source.
- If you are in crisis, call or text 988 and press 1 for the Veterans and Military Crisis Line, which serves service members, veterans and their families.
Frequently asked questions
Does TRICARE cover rehab in Florida if I am enrolled in another state? Yes. TRICARE covers authorized providers anywhere in the United States. Your regional contractor stays the same, and network status is what changes your cost.
Does TRICARE cover partial hospitalization? Yes, at authorized PHP facilities. TRICARE does not require pre-authorization for PHP, but Prime enrollees generally need a referral from their primary care manager.
Does TRICARE cover mental health treatment without a substance use problem? Yes. PHP and IOP for depression, anxiety, trauma and related conditions are covered under the same benefit, and Recreate treats them alongside addiction.
Does TRICARE cover medication-assisted treatment? Yes. Medications such as buprenorphine and naltrexone are covered, with counseling as part of treatment. We coordinate with your prescribing provider.
Will anyone find out I am in treatment? For family members and retirees, claims are confidential and protected by HIPAA, and substance use treatment records have added protection under 42 CFR Part 2. Active duty members have separate rules about command notification, so ask your installation’s substance use program or Military OneSource about confidentiality before you start.
What if TRICARE denies or limits my treatment? You can appeal. Our admissions team can explain the next step and support it with clinical documentation.
Written by: The Recreate Life Counseling Editorial Team
Published on: June 14, 2021
Updated on: November 11, 2026
