---
type: Service
title: Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
description: Outpatient FDA-approved medication treatment for opioid, alcohol, and nicotine use disorders across Texas and Florida, with a no-cost option via the Be Well, TX partnership.
resource: https://carmahealth.com/services/medication-assisted-treatment
tags: [carmahealth, service, mat, medication-assisted-treatment, opioid-use-disorder, alcohol-use-disorder, nicotine]
timestamp: 2026-07-08T20:00:00Z
---

# Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

## Overview

Medication-assisted treatment at [CARMAhealth](../carmahealth.md) combines FDA-approved medications with counseling and behavioral therapies for [substance use disorders](../conditions/substance-use-disorder.md). Per the site, all CARMAhealth practitioners — not only psychiatrists — prescribe and manage office-based medications for opioid use disorder, plus treatments for alcohol and nicotine dependence. The model is outpatient, and plans may integrate [psychiatric evaluation](./psychiatric-evaluation.md), [medication management](./medication-management.md), or [telehealth](./telehealth.md) visits. It is related to, but distinct from, the [executive detox](./executive-detox.md) withdrawal-management program.

Medications listed by the site:

- **Opioid use disorder:** Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone), Sublocade (injectable buprenorphine), Probuphine (implantable buprenorphine), Vivitrol (injectable naltrexone)
- **Alcohol use disorder:** naltrexone, Campral (acamprosate)
- **Nicotine dependence:** Chantix (varenicline), nicotine replacement therapies

## How it works (as described by the provider)

1. **Comprehensive evaluation** — assessment of substance use history, mental health, physical health, and recovery goals.
2. **Medication selection** — the practitioner recommends the FDA-approved medication suited to the patient's needs and explains how it fits the recovery plan.
3. **Treatment with monitoring** — medication is initiated with regular follow-ups (in-office or via telehealth) and dosage adjustments.
4. **Sustained recovery** — medication is integrated with counseling and behavioral support; the site states duration varies by individual, with no single correct length, and that longer retention in treatment is associated with better outcomes.

## Conditions addressed

- [Substance use disorder](../conditions/substance-use-disorder.md) — opioid, alcohol, and nicotine use disorders specifically.

## Availability & locations

Offered across Texas and Florida, in person and via [telehealth](./telehealth.md). The site notes recent federal policy changes removed the special waiver requirement for prescribing buprenorphine, enabling MAT through virtual visits. Contact numbers: (512) 212-4670 (Texas), (754) 800-6301 (Florida). Locations: [Austin, TX](../locations/austin-tx.md), [Dripping Springs, TX](../locations/dripping-springs-tx.md), [Coral Springs, FL](../locations/coral-springs-fl.md).

## Insurance & payment

The site states most major plans cover MAT (including Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, United Healthcare). Through a partnership with Be Well, TX (a Texas HHS program), CARMAhealth offers no-cost MAT for patients with financial barriers.

## Claims noted

- The site cites the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifying medication-based treatment as the most effective approach for opioid use disorder, reducing the likelihood of overdose death by up to three-fold.
- The site cites a 2024 study in Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports associating medication for opioid use disorder with approximately a 50 percent reduction in mortality.
- The site references a comparative effectiveness study of over 40,000 adults finding buprenorphine associated with reduced overdose risk and reduced serious opioid-related acute care utilization at 3 and 12 months.
- The site states MAT medications like buprenorphine and naltrexone stabilize brain chemistry without producing euphoria (addressing the "trading one addiction for another" misconception).

## Sources

- Canonical page: https://carmahealth.com/services/medication-assisted-treatment
- Machine-readable mirror: https://mr.carmahealth.com/services/medication-assisted-treatment
- Retrieved 2026-07-08.