Chronic Pain and Addiction Treatment in Louisiana

How is chronic pain treated when someone also has a substance use disorder?

In Louisiana, chronic pain alongside a substance use disorder is usually treated with one shared plan, in which the pain clinician and the addiction clinician agree on medications, therapies and goals. The final choice rests with the clinicians and the patient.

Physical dependence on a prescribed opioid is not the same as a use disorder. Many people on long-term prescriptions are dependent without having an addiction, and a clinician makes that assessment. Abruptly stopping or slashing a long-term opioid or benzodiazepine dose is unsafe, so any change should be a gradual taper planned with the prescriber.

Options a team may weigh include buprenorphine, which treats opioid use disorder and also eases pain, methadone from a licensed opioid treatment program, non-opioid medicines, physical therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Benzodiazepines are not a pain treatment, and taking them together with opioids makes dangerously slow breathing more likely.

Pain care can usually continue during addiction treatment when the program and pain prescriber agree to coordinate and you consent to them sharing information. Louisiana Medicaid pays through Healthy Louisiana plans, and the Louisiana Substance Use Helpline at 877-664-2248 can point uninsured residents toward state-funded community programs.

Buprenorphine prescribers appear on our Suboxone clinics in Louisiana page, and opioid treatment programs appear on the Louisiana methadone clinics page. For a wider view of opioid care across the state, see opioid rehab in Louisiana.

Is it safe to stop or reduce pain medication on my own?

Stopping or sharply cutting a long-term opioid or benzodiazepine prescription on your own is not considered safe. Any change should be planned with the prescriber as a gradual taper. A sudden stop can bring withdrawal and a return of pain, and stopping benzodiazepines abruptly can cause seizures in some people. Benzodiazepines are not a pain treatment. Combining them with opioids raises the risk of slowed breathing, so tell your prescriber about every sedating medicine you take. Programs offering benzodiazepine care are on our Louisiana benzo rehab page.

Naloxone is easy to get in Louisiana. A statewide standing order dated January 1, 2026 lets any pharmacy licensed by the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy dispense naloxone to any Louisiana resident, including family members and friends, with training required under state law. Louisiana’s Good Samaritan law, La. R.S. 14:403.10, protects a person who seeks medical help in good faith for an overdose from being charged for drug possession or use. Ask your prescriber which state prescription records and prescribing rules apply to your treatment, because these rules change and vary by medication.

Can I keep getting pain treatment while in addiction treatment in Louisiana?

Pain care can usually continue during addiction treatment if the program and your pain prescriber agree to coordinate and you sign consent for them to share information. Louisiana Medicaid allows licensed mental health professionals to provide assessments, therapy and medication management by telehealth in outpatient and intensive outpatient substance use settings, under a bulletin last revised in 2023. Outpatient group sessions must be in person, and methadone admission visits cannot be done by telehealth. Programs with remote visits are on our telehealth rehab page. Other options include outpatient rehab and intensive outpatient programs.

Three in four listed pain and addiction programs in Louisiana sit within 25 miles of a river, most often the Comite River, at a median of 9.3 miles; see rivers. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International is the most common nearest airport, and the median trip to the nearest airport is 12.2 miles. Nearly two in three of these programs are in towns rather than big cities, at a median elevation of just 25 feet.

How do I pay for pain and addiction treatment in Louisiana?

Most people in Louisiana pay through Louisiana Medicaid, private insurance or state-funded treatment, depending on their coverage. Louisiana Medicaid expanded in 2016 and delivers behavioral health care through Healthy Louisiana managed care plans. Aetna Better Health, AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, Healthy Blue, Humana and Louisiana Healthcare Connections serve members in 2026, and Healthy Blue is set to leave at the end of 2026. Before admission, ask your plan how it covers medication for opioid use disorder and each level of care. Programs that accept Medicaid are on our Medicaid page.

Private insurance plans are generally expected under federal parity rules to cover substance use care on terms comparable to other medical care. If you have no coverage, the Office of Behavioral Health within the Louisiana Department of Health supports community programs run by regional human services districts and authorities; see state-funded rehab in Louisiana. The office lists priority admission for pregnant women.

What should I ask a Louisiana program before starting?

Start with three questions: does the program treat pain and substance use together, can it continue or start medication for opioid use disorder, and will it coordinate with your pain prescriber? Intake staff can also explain levels of care, insurers accepted, languages spoken and the groups the program serves. Each listing on RehabSeekers.com shows what a provider reports about pain and addiction services, medications, payment, accreditation, languages and location. That information comes from government treatment registers, state licensing records, accreditor listings and details the providers send us.

The Louisiana Substance Use Helpline is 877-664-2248, 2-1-1 connects callers to local services, and OpioidHelpLA.org lists opioid services across the state. The national treatment referral line offers free referrals at 1-800-662-4357. In a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988. For background on this topic nationally, see pain and addiction, and browse all statewide options from Louisiana rehab.