Tools & resources

Tools to figure out where you stand

Four free tools built for veterans and military families in San Antonio who want to understand their coverage and options before calling anyone. Each returns a real answer. None asks for your name to do it.

No name, no account, no personal details required to get an answer
All four tools

Start with the one that matches your question right now

Coverage checker

Know before you call

The standard path to figuring out your coverage is to call a treatment center, give them your insurance details, and wait for someone to call you back with an answer. That path requires trusting a facility with your information before you have decided anything.

The coverage checker reverses that. You answer five questions about your plan and what you are looking for. You get a plain-English summary of what TRICARE typically covers for that combination, and the exact rule on TRICARE.mil that backs it up. Then you decide what to do next.

  • Works for TRICARE Prime, Select, Reserve Select, and Young Adult
  • Covers detox, residential, PHP, IOP, and outpatient levels
  • Shows whether prior authorization is required
  • No name, no login, no personal details at any point
Open the coverage checker
TRICARE Coverage Checker

1. Which TRICARE plan do you hold?

TRICARE Prime
TRICARE Select
TRICARE Reserve Select
TRICARE Young Adult

2. What level of care are you looking at?

Medical detox
Residential (inpatient)
Partial hospitalization (PHP)
Intensive outpatient (IOP)
Coverage summary

TRICARE Prime covers residential addiction treatment. Prior authorization from TriWest is required before admission. Cost-share is 20% of allowed charges after the deductible is met for active-duty family members. Verify at tricare.mil →

Preview only. The full tool uses current TRICARE benefit schedules and prompts for plan-specific details. Always confirm your specific coverage directly with TriWest.

Level of care Prime (in-network) Select (in-network)
Medical detox 20% after deductible ~$80–$200/day est.
Residential 20% after deductible ~$80–$200/day est.
PHP 20% after deductible ~$40–$100/day est.
IOP 20% after deductible ~$20–$60/session est.
Sample figures only. Actual costs depend on your deductible status, catastrophic cap, facility rates, and authorised days. Source: tricare.mil cost-share schedules. Use the estimator for your specific situation.
Cost estimator

Real numbers, not percentages

Cost-share percentages mean nothing without knowing the allowed charge. The estimator converts them into dollar ranges based on typical allowed charges for each level of care, so you can think about a real budget rather than an abstract figure.

All estimates are clearly labeled as estimates. Each output links to the TRICARE cost-share schedule it is based on so you can verify. For active-duty service members, the in-network cost-share is typically zero for the service member (TRICARE covers 100%). The estimator shows costs for dependents and retirees on each plan.

Open the cost estimator
Plain-English glossary

Every term that has been keeping you in the dark

TRICARE paperwork, treatment program descriptions, and VA correspondence are full of abbreviations and clinical terms that assume you already know the system. The glossary defines every one of them in plain language, with a link to the official definition where it exists.

Alphabetical and fully searchable. If a term you need is missing, flag it through the contact page and it gets added.

ACDEIMNPRSTU
Open the glossary
Prior Authorization PA

Approval from TRICARE or TriWest that a specific treatment is medically necessary before you receive it. Required for residential treatment and PHP. Without it, the cost may not be covered.

Source: tricare.mil/GettingCare/Auth
Partial Hospitalization Program PHP

A day treatment program that provides four to six hours of structured therapy five days a week. You live at home or in sober living. More intensive than IOP, less than residential.

Source: SAMHSA treatment locator definitions
Explanation of Benefits EOB

A document from TRICARE showing what was billed, what was covered, and what you owe. Not a bill. The actual bill comes from the provider. Both documents together show the full picture.

Medication-Assisted Treatment MAT

The use of FDA-approved medications (such as buprenorphine, naltrexone, or methadone) combined with counseling to treat opioid or alcohol use disorder. Covered by TRICARE and VA.

Source: va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/substance-use-problems
San Antonio resource directory

Local support beyond treatment

Veteran and military family support resources in the San Antonio area. This directory covers peer support, family services, legal assistance, and crisis resources, separate from the treatment centers listed in the centers directory.

Peer support

Veterans Service Organizations

VFW Post and American Legion chapters in Bexar County. Peer-led support and benefits navigation for veterans and family members.

See full directory for locations and contacts
Family support

Military Family Life Consultants

Free, confidential short-term counseling for military families through the MFLC program. Available on and off JBSA installations. No documentation or command involvement required.

militaryonesource.mil · 1-800-342-9647
Legal assistance

JBSA Legal Assistance Offices

Free legal advice for eligible service members and dependents. Covers military career, benefits, and personal legal matters including security clearance consultations.

See full directory for office locations
Crisis support

Veterans Crisis Line

Free, confidential crisis support for veterans and military families, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call, text, or chat.

Dial 988, then press 1 · Text 838255
Open the full resource directory View treatment centers
Questions about the tools

How they work

No. Every tool returns results without requiring your name, email address, or any personal information. An optional email field appears only at the end of the coverage checker and cost estimator, if you want a copy of your results sent to you. It is clearly optional and you get the same results either way.
The coverage checker explains what TRICARE typically covers for the plan type and level of care you select. It is based on published TRICARE benefit rules sourced from tricare.mil. It cannot account for your specific plan's current deductible status, catastrophic cap, or any pre-authorization already in progress. Use it as a starting point, then confirm your specific coverage by calling TriWest or checking your TRICARE account.
The coverage checker answers whether TRICARE covers a specific level of care and what the basic rules are. The cost estimator answers roughly what you will pay out of pocket based on your plan type, network status, and level of care. They answer different questions and work best used together: check coverage first, then estimate your costs with the information the coverage checker surfaces.

If you need someone right now

The tools are here to help you get informed. If you need immediate support, the Veterans Crisis Line is free, confidential, and available now.

Dial 988, then 1
Veterans Crisis Line · 24/7 · Free & confidential

Free, independent help

Need help finding the right program?

Tell us about your situation and we will help you find an addiction treatment center in San Antonio that fits your coverage. No fees, no obligation.

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