
Bicycle Health, Wellpath Ink Additional OUD Treatment Contract with Federal Bureau of Prisons
Through the collaboration, Bicycle Health and Wellpath are able to offer virtual opioid use disorder support to those in residential reentry centers.
Through the collaboration, Bicycle Health and Wellpath are able to offer virtual opioid use disorder support to those in residential reentry centers.
Bicycle Health's new virtual adolescent care program in Maine will support teens over the age of 16 struggling with opioid use disorder. They'll gain access to the company's clinical services and medication for addiction treatment.
HHS recently released a final rule that allows practitioners in Opioid Treatment Programs to start patients on methadone or buprenorphine via telehealth. However, the final rule does not apply to the broader range of providers, leading telehealth advocates to call for additional changes from the DEA.
Through a new partnership, Talkspace clinicians can refer patients with opioid use disorder to Bicycle Health for its addiction services, while Bicycle Health can refer its patients to Talkspace to treat co-occurring mental health conditions.
Through a new partnership, Bicycle Health providers can prescribe patients buprenorphine extended release injections (otherwise known as Sublocade), which can be administered by a pharmacist at an Albertsons pharmacy.
There is inadequate substance use disorder support for people who are incarcerated or are leaving incarceration. But there are opportunities to make improvements, experts say.
The Drug Enforcement Administration received 38,000 comments on its proposed rule that would roll back Covid-19 flexibilities for the prescribing of controlled substances via telemedicine. In response, the DEA chose to temporarily extend the flexibilities, a decision telehealth companies like Bicycle Health and Mindbloom are in support of.
The DEA recently released proposed rules that would require an in-person visit before a patient can receive a telehealth prescription for a controlled substance. The DEA touts the change as a way to ensure patient safety, but several telehealth advocates argue it will greatly disrupt access for those who need the drugs — especially at a time when the mental health and substance use crisis is growing.
The collaboration, which was announced last week, is between Bicycle Health, Wellpath and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It will provide virtual opioid use disorder services to those living in the Bureau's residential reentry centers in 42 states.
The Covid-19 public health emergency waived a rule that required a practitioner to conduct an in-person medical exam before prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine. Once the public health emergency ends on May 11, those with substance use disorder could be greatly affected, experts are warning.
Bicycle Health provides medication for addiction treatment. Through its telehealth platform, it also offers a team of medical experts, a customized treatment plan, same-day prescription refills for medication management, peer support groups and therapy.
Temporary policy changes during the Covid-19 pandemic let people access substance use treatment over telehealth for the first time. Now, healthcare providers and policymakers are watching legislation that would allow patients to continue to access these services virtually.