Bicycle Health

What Bicycle Health is

Bicycle Health is a telehealth platform delivering medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Licensed addiction specialists prescribe buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) or buprenorphine injections (Sublocade) through video appointments, with prescriptions sent to a pharmacy the same day. The company's name captures its philosophy: recovery is not a single moment but a continuous ride, your job, your kids, your schedule. Everything that keeps moving whether treatment is going well or not. The hard days aren't a reason to start over; they are part of the ride.

The company frames its approach as centered on respect for patients: patient-centered whole-person care, non-judgmental treatment of addiction as a chronic and relapsing disease, helping patients regain control of their lives through motivational interviewing, and collaborative goal-setting and decision-making. The leadership team includes a CEO, Chief Medical Officer (a DO), Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief People Officer. The company was named one of TIME100 Most Influential Companies in 2022.

How Bicycle Health works

You start by either filling out a quick online form or scheduling a free call with an enrollment coordinator to ask questions. This is telehealth, so information gathering is necessary, and both paths lead to the same next step: your first appointment. Enrollment calls are same-day when a slot is open. Most first appointments happen the same day or the next day.

Your first appointment is a video call with a licensed medical provider who reviews your health history and creates a personalized treatment plan. You see the same provider at every appointment. Most patients get their Suboxone prescription at the first visit and can fill it that day at a pharmacy near them. No in-person exam is required to start. Federal rules have allowed buprenorphine to be prescribed by telehealth without a prior in-person visit continuously since 2020.

Before your first dose, you usually need to be in at least mild withdrawal. Your provider tells you what to look for and when to take your first dose. After the initial prescription, ongoing care includes video appointments as your treatment plan calls for, unlimited messaging with your care team whenever you need them, access to over 170 peer-led support groups offered weekly (including holidays), care navigation help figuring out logistics, and lab tests (which you can do from home). All appointments, refills, and support groups happen virtually. There is no in-person clinic requirement.

The company states that Bicycle Health has helped over 50,000 people. Research backing the platform shows that telehealth medication for opioid use disorder (TeleMOUD) is associated with reductions in fatal drug overdose, improved retention, and reduced medically treated overdose. Utilization of MOUD improved for veterans after treatment shifted to telehealth. TeleMOUD is associated with decline in opioid-related deaths involving buprenorphine. Bicycle Health's proprietary virtual urine drug screening has a falsification rate below 3%, lower than in-person programs. The platform is described as easy for patients to use and delivers high-quality clinical outcomes. Ninety-five percent of Bicycle Health patients report no withdrawal symptoms at seven days. The company offers 170 support groups every week, including on holidays, providing community and continuity even outside appointment windows.

What Bicycle Health covers and costs

Bicycle Health accepts over 300 insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare. Most insured patients pay under $35 a month for the program. This varies by plan, some plans cover the entire cost, while others require a deductible or copay. Your exact cost depends on your plan specifics.

If you do not have insurance, the self-pay rate is $249 a month. This flat monthly fee includes unlimited doctor visits as many as your treatment plan calls for, unlimited messaging with your care team, care navigation support, online support groups, lab tests (included and you can do them from home), and medication (buprenorphine/naloxone prescription). Medication itself costs between $0 and $150 per month depending on your plan and pharmacy; most insured patients have this covered by insurance.

Bicycle Health is currently available in 28 states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The company states it is adding more all the time and prefers physicians who have an Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) license or eligibility, indicating ongoing expansion plans.

What the site does not say

Bicycle Health does not publish specific medication costs without entering a state, though it notes costs between $0 and $150 depending on plan and pharmacy. The exact out-of-pocket costs for insured patients depend on individual plan details, deductibles, copays, coinsurance, which vary widely. The site does not specify what happens if you miss appointments, how long you can stay on the program, or what triggers termination.

The company does not detail how it handles controlled medications or what its policy is on medication refills. It does not mention whether providers are employees or contractors, or the ratio of providers to patients. Specific wait times beyond "same-day or next-day first appointments" are not provided. The site does not publish formal clinical trial results, only references to peer-reviewed research and outcomes data on the treatment-options page.

Who it fits

Bicycle Health fits someone with opioid dependence who needs medication-assisted treatment and can engage with technology via smartphone or computer. It suits people who cannot access or afford in-person clinics because of stigma, distance, or schedule. It works for people with insurance, including Medicaid, or people who can pay $249 a month. It fits someone who wants continuity with one provider and flexibility to do labs at home. It suits people who want peer support woven into ongoing care.

It does not fit someone without a smartphone or computer, someone who cannot use video confidentially, someone who lives in a state where the service is not yet available, or someone who prefers or medically needs in-person care. If you cannot engage with telemedicine, if you need same-day crisis intervention, or if you prefer to pick up medication in person, Bicycle Health is not the right fit. The service is for adults; it does not mention treatment for adolescents.