Tennessee Access Score: 36/100
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 Tennessee
Tennessee has 431 active NPPES enumerations across 20 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
Very high pressure88.2Rank 7 of 52
Tennessee sits in the top quarter of states for treatment access pressure. Demand signals are elevated and verified provider supply is thin relative to population.
Mental health HPSA score (weighted)
16.82
0–25 scale. Higher means greater federally-designated shortage.
13,042,877 residents live inside designated mental health HPSAs.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse
Frequent mental distress
19.8%
Population-weighted share of adults reporting 14+ days of poor mental health in the last month.
Source: CDC PLACES (BRFSS 2022)
Unemployment rate
3.6%
Seasonally adjusted state unemployment, used as a stress proxy.
Latest period: M02 2026.
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
Verified treatment density
6.36
Methadone OTPs plus buprenorphine prescribers per 100,000 residents. Higher density lowers pressure.
(22 OTPs, 431 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.
F
Score breakdown
| Component | Detail | Points |
|---|---|---|
| OTP density | 0.309 OTPs per 100K residents | 9.3 / 30 |
| Buprenorphine density | 6.05 providers per 100K | 4.8 / 20 |
| Mental health HPSA need met | 13.25% | 4.4 / 20 |
| Medicaid breadth | 5 of 5 service categories covered | 15 / 15 |
| 1115 SUD waiver | None | 0 / 10 |
| Legal protections | Good Samaritan: No · Naloxone access: Yes | 2.5 / 5 |
Demand snapshot
3,616
Drug overdose deaths (2023)
CDC WONDER. YoY -6.6
42.9
Opioid deaths per 100K (age-adjusted)
CDC WONDER 2023
58.7
Opioid Rx per 100 residents
2024 · National avg 35.4
13.25%
Mental health HPSA need met
HRSA Q1 2026. No federal SUD-specific HPSA exists.
Medicaid coverage for buprenorphine
| Item | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buprenorphine covered | Yes | |
| Methadone covered | Yes | |
| Naltrexone covered | Yes | |
| Outpatient SUD | Yes |
1115 SUD waiver: Limited (TennCare block grant/HAO waiver proposal is the relevant authority; SUD-specific IMD waiver status unclear). TennCare operates through managed care with 'in lieu of' authority potentially applicable for IMD services; standalone SUD IMD 1115 waiver not confirmed Expires TennCare II: ongoing managed care authority.
20 cities with buprenorphine providers
Cities below have at least 5 active prescribers. Smaller cities consolidate into the closest hub city for V1.