Talkspace, Bicycle Health partner to expand therapeutic offerings

Teletherapy company Talkspace and virtual opioid use disorder treatment company Bicycle Health are partnering to expand access to virtual care for patients of both companies. 

Talkspace offers therapy for adults, teens 13 to 17, and couples, as well as psychiatric services and medication management. The platform assists individuals suffering from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, panic disorder, PTSD and postpartum depression. 

Bicycle offers virtual treatment for opioid use disorder, including medication-assisted treatment like Suboxone. The startup currently operates in 25 states.

Patients can set up an introductory call with the startup to determine if Bicycle’s treatment would work for them and then schedule a virtual appointment to set a care plan and discuss medication-assisted treatment. Patients can also access health coaching and online support groups.

Through the partnership, Talkspace patients will have access to opioid use disorder specialty care, including medication, therapists and recovery coaches. 

Bicycle Health patients will be able to connect with therapists via chat and speak to mental health providers in areas outside of substance use disorder, such as marriage and family therapists.   

“Opioid use disorder does not exist in a vacuum. We consider the whole person and their environment when recommending the right care plan to help them achieve stable, lasting recovery,” Dr. Brian Clear, chief medical officer at Bicycle Health, said in a statement. 

“Like patients in all care settings, Bicycle Health patients often experience depression, anxiety or other behavioral conditions beyond their addiction and many will benefit from a relationship with a therapist at Talkspace with expertise to meet their needs. Now, in addition to our own internal therapist team, our clinicians have the ability to connect our patients to a therapist at Talkspace quickly and reliably whenever that’s the right choice for any patient.”

THE LARGER TREND

Bicycle Health recently joined HIMSS TV to discuss its partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to provide individuals released from prison continued access to monthly injections of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. 

Last year, the company announced it was collaborating with supermarket chain Albertsons to give the telehealth company’s providers the ability to prescribe buprenorphine monthly injections for opioid use disorder that can be filled inside Albertsons pharmacies across 17 states.  

It also partnered with emergency telehealth provider Tele911 to connect patients to continuing care after an overdose or health crisis. 

In 2022, the company scored $50 million in a Series B funding round, bringing Bicycle’s total raise to $83 million. It scored $27 million in a Series A round announced in 2021.

Last year, publicly traded Talkspace announced it signed a $26 million contract with New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to power NYC Teenspace. The three-year program provides free therapy and self-guided mental health resources to teens 13 through 17. 

The company also reported it partnered with Finland-based Oura, maker of its namesake health tracking ring. Through the partnership, Talkspace would allow Oura wearers to share their personalized sleep and daily movement data with Talkspace therapists.