California Access Score: 58.3/100
Composite of methadone OTP density, buprenorphine provider density, mental health shortage need-met %, Medicaid coverage breadth, 1115 SUD waiver status, and legal protections. How we score.
Suboxone Providers in California
California has 4,814 active NPPES enumerations across 205 cities for clinicians who commonly prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. Coverage is wider than the old X-waiver lists suggested, but availability still varies clinic to clinic. Confirm intake before you drive anywhere.
CAA 2023 disclaimer. Buprenorphine X-waiver eliminated by Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023. Any DEA II-V prescriber may now prescribe buprenorphine.
Composite analysis
Treatment Access Pressure Index
Moderate pressure49Rank 27 of 52
California falls in the lower half for treatment access pressure. Statewide capacity is closer to the median, but rural counties may still be underserved.
Mental health HPSA score (weighted)
17.59
0–25 scale. Higher means greater federally-designated shortage.
122,894,636 residents live inside designated mental health HPSAs.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse
Frequent mental distress
16.7%
Population-weighted share of adults reporting 14+ days of poor mental health in the last month.
Source: CDC PLACES (BRFSS 2022)
Unemployment rate
5.4%
Seasonally adjusted state unemployment, used as a stress proxy.
Latest period: M02 2026.
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
Verified treatment density
12.71
Methadone OTPs plus buprenorphine prescribers per 100,000 residents. Higher density lowers pressure.
(140 OTPs, 4,814 bupren providers.)
Source: SAMHSA + CMS NPPES (CCIWA dataset)
TAPI is a CCIWA composite. Each input is z-scored across 50 states plus DC and Puerto Rico, then combined as a weighted sum (HPSA 30%, frequent mental distress 25%, unemployment 15%, treatment density 30%, sign-flipped). The result is rescaled 0 to 100 by percentile rank. Read the full methodology.
C
Score breakdown
| Component | Detail | Points |
|---|---|---|
| OTP density | 0.359 OTPs per 100K residents | 10.8 / 30 |
| Buprenorphine density | 12.35 providers per 100K | 9.9 / 20 |
| Mental health HPSA need met | 23.03% | 7.7 / 20 |
| Medicaid breadth | 5 of 5 service categories covered | 15 / 15 |
| 1115 SUD waiver | Active | 10 / 10 |
| Legal protections | Good Samaritan: Yes · Naloxone access: Yes | 5 / 5 |
Demand snapshot
11,378
Drug overdose deaths (2023)
CDC WONDER. YoY 3.7
19.7
Opioid deaths per 100K (age-adjusted)
CDC WONDER 2023
23.8
Opioid Rx per 100 residents
2024 · National avg 35.4
23.03%
Mental health HPSA need met
HRSA Q1 2026. No federal SUD-specific HPSA exists.
Medicaid coverage for buprenorphine
| Item | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buprenorphine covered | Yes | Prior authorization may apply |
| Methadone covered | Yes | |
| Naltrexone covered | Yes | |
| Outpatient SUD | Yes |
1115 SUD waiver: Active. IMD exclusion waived. Expires 2026-12-31.
205 cities with buprenorphine providers
Cities below have at least 5 active prescribers. Smaller cities consolidate into the closest hub city for V1.
Los Angeles (384) San Diego (138) Fresno (104) San Francisco (103) Costa Mesa (101) Huntington Beach (95) Sacramento (94) Santa Ana (76) Woodland Hills (75) Newport Beach (73) Long Beach (66) Riverside (65) Malibu (64) Oakland (61) Anaheim (55) San Jose (49) Santa Rosa (44) Encino (43) San Juan Capistrano (42) San Bernardino (40) Tarzana (40) Santa Monica (38) Pasadena (38) North Hollywood (37) Northridge (37) Van Nuys (36) Santa Barbara (35) Laguna Beach (35) Orange (34) Fountain Valley (34) Lancaster (34) Sherman Oaks (33) Dana Point (33) Irvine (32) San Clemente (32) Beverly Hills (30) Bakersfield (30) Mission Viejo (29) Ventura (29) San Rafael (28) Laguna Hills (28) Stockton (28) Murrieta (26) Inglewood (26) Palm Springs (25) Whittier (23) Palmdale (23) Modesto (22) Calabasas (22) Garden Grove (21) Pomona (21) Thousand Oaks (20) West Hollywood (20) Simi Valley (20) Hemet (19) Corona (19) Granada Hills (19) Temecula (19) Cathedral City (18) Carlsbad (18) Lake Arrowhead (18) Victorville (17) Glendale (17) Concord (17) Redding (17) Agoura Hills (17) San Pedro (17) Burbank (17) Chatsworth (17) Lake Forest (16) Visalia (16) Vallejo (16) Roseville (16) Culver City (15) Santa Cruz (15) Loma Linda (15) Westlake Village (15) El Centro (15) Sylmar (15) Novato (15) Encinitas (15) Laguna Niguel (15) San Mateo (14) Compton (14) Desert Hot Springs (14) Moreno Valley (14) Palm Desert (14) La Mesa (13) Hanford (13) Palo Alto (13) San Jacinto (13) Perris (13) Studio City (13) Salinas (12) Richmond (12) Rancho Cordova (12) Capistrano Beach (12) Fullerton (12) Venice (12) Placerville (12)