Substance use disorder (SUD) startup Bicycle Health has joined forces with medical provider Wellpath and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) on a new partnership to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) at reentry centers.
As part of the deal, Bicycle Health will provide its virtual medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program to individuals living in FBOP’s Reentry Centers. Wellpath and Bicycle Health will work with formerly incarcerated patients in 42 states to help them get on a treatment plan.
SUD and overdose deaths are higher in the formerly incarcerated population than in the general public. In fact, in the two weeks after leaving incarceration, individuals are 40 times more likely to die from an opioid overdose than the general public.
Individuals enrolled in the program will have access to Bicycle’s telehealth visits, medication management, peer support groups, psychotherapy and in-home diagnostic testing.
“Nearly one-in-five incarcerated people struggle with opioid use disorder, and unfortunately, opioid-related overdose is the leading cause of death for those released from jail or prison,” Justin Guadagno, chief commercial officer at Bicycle Health, said in a statement. “Our collaboration with Wellpath creates an entirely new, scalable approach to rehabilitation that will give people a fighting chance to achieve long-term recovery when they re-enter society.”
Boston-based Bicycle Health has caught major investor attention with its virtual MAT program for OUD. In June, it closed a $50 million Series B funding round, bringing its total raise to $83 million.
This isn’t the startup’s first significant partnership. In August, it announced that it was teaming up with Cigna Corp’s (NYSE: CI) health service business, Evernorth, to provide OUD treatment to its members.
“Telehealth is now well understood to be a widespread, highly effective treatment delivery option for patients with opioid use disorder, which is why we chose to work with Bicycle Health. In doing so, we’re able to overcome many of the obstacles that prevent formerly incarcerated people from getting the MOUD treatment they need,” Dr. Thomas Pangburn, chief clinical officer at Wellpath, said in a statement. “This collaboration helps streamline the process for reentry by providing evidence-based and convenient treatment options, which can make a real difference for those struggling with opioid addiction.”
Wellpath is a Nashville, Tennessee-based provider specializing in localized care for underserved populations in “challenging clinical environments.” It provides medical and behavioral health services to more than 300,000 patients across 600 facilities, which include prisons, state hospitals and forensic treatment facilities.
As the OUD epidemic continues to ravage the U.S., more and more providers are focusing on addressing the need for services in the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated population.
For example, Groups Recover Together has partnered with several state correctional departments, including Indiana and Maine’s department of corrections (DOC), to provide transitional care and reentry services for individuals transitioning out of incarceration.
Additionally, virtual MAT provider Boulder Care has joined forces with the Oregon Department of Corrections to offer telehealth and MAT services to individuals involved with the justice system.
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