Opioid Treatment and MAT in Orlando, FL
CDC NCHS provisional county data show 281 drug overdose deaths among Orange County residents in 2024 (12-month period ending December 2024). Fentanyl remains central to local fatalities even where totals are falling. The Orlando metro also has a measurable medication-assisted treatment network: buprenorphine prescribers and federally certified opioid treatment programs within 30 miles. This page explains each piece and how to access it.
How bad the opioid problem is here
Orange County's Ninth District Medical Examiner's Office reported that accidental drug overdoses fell about 30% from 2023 to 2024, and opioid-related overdose deaths fell 37.1% (from 364 to 229). Florida Medical Examiners Commission District 9 (Orlando/Orange) recorded 272 deaths with fentanyl present in 2024, including 208 in which fentanyl caused or contributed to death. Orange County Health Services attributes part of the 2024 decline to jail-based MAT and Opioid Navigator follow-up after release.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) near Orlando
Medication-assisted treatment - also called medications for opioid use disorder, or MOUD - uses one of three FDA-approved medications alongside counseling. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse:
- Methadone is a full opioid agonist that relieves withdrawal and cravings. It is dispensed through certified opioid treatment programs.
- Buprenorphine is a partial agonist that reduces cravings and withdrawal, and can be prescribed in a doctor's office.
- Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors so opioids no longer produce a high. It can be started only after opioids have cleared the body.
Within 30 miles of downtown Orlando (ZIP 32801), the SAMHSA locator lists:
- 9 federally certified opioid treatment programs
- 29 facilities that prescribe buprenorphine
- 22 facilities that prescribe naltrexone
- 23 offering outpatient methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone treatment
Public-network anchors include Central Florida Cares Health System, the DCF Managing Entity for this region, and the Orange County Office for a Drug-Free Community, which administers opioid settlement-funded MAT navigation and jail re-entry supports. Counts change as programs open and close.
Paying for opioid treatment in Orlando
Florida Medicaid is administered by AHCA. Florida has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA. Statewide Medicaid Managed Care plans include Sunshine Health, Simply Healthcare, Humana Medical Plan, Aetna Better Health of Florida, UnitedHealthcare, Molina Healthcare of Florida, and AmeriHealth Caritas Florida - confirm network status for your ZIP. If you are uninsured, Central Florida Cares Health System coordinates publicly funded treatment with sliding-fee options.
How to start today
- If this is a medical emergency, call 911 and give naloxone if you have it. For a crisis, call or text 988.
- Call or text (800) 653-9376 to talk through your options with a treatment specialist, or use this form:
Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers, and we check your benefits before you commit.
- Search findtreatment.gov with ZIP code 32801 and filter for opioid treatment programs or buprenorphine.
- Call or text 988 for a crisis. Ask Central Florida Cares Health System about publicly funded beds if you are uninsured.
Medication for opioid use disorder works. The barrier is usually finding an opening and confirming payment - not whether treatment exists in Orlando.