How it works

Bicycle Health operates through a smartphone app for secure communication with your doctor. We understand the problems with high quality opioid dependence treatment so we've built our entire service around helping patients start treatment fast and support our patients on demand over the long run. Here's how the process works:

Schedule an in-person visit with our doctor. Your first appointment with our doctor will be in person at one of our California locations. This will be a 60 - 90 minute visit where the doctor will cover your medical history, mental health history, substance use history, provide an accurate diagnosis and create an individualized treatment plan that works for you. You can start your prescription immediately after the appointment.
Follow up with the doctor through our app. You will be asked to download a secure communication app called Spruce. After the first appointment, you can use the app to communicate with your doctor at any time. You will have scheduled video calls through the app. The video calls will be weekly at the beginning, going down to once every two weeks and eventually once a month as your treatment progresses. The doctor might order lab tests that you will need to complete before the video calls, which can be done at any LabCorp or Quest Diagnostics location near you.
Electronic prescription refills. Your doctor will refill your prescription after every video visit electronically. Hence, you can pick your prescription right after every video visit. We can even home deliver your prescription at no extra cost to you.

Be sure to read our pricing page before booking your appointment.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of treatment do you do?+

We offer Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) using Suboxone. Suboxone is a FDA approved medication used to treat opioid dependence, curb cravings, and stop withdrawal symptoms. It is an opioid itself, but it is safe to use and won’t leave you feeling foggy. One goal for treatment would be to eventually taper you off of Suboxone by gradually lowering your dose until you are comfortable without it. It has a much higher success rate than trying to quit cold turkey, is safer than what you may be taking now, and is convenient for you since you can pick it up at a pharmacy and take it at home as opposed to coming in to a clinic regularly.

Is this treatment confidential?+

Yes. We will never share any health information with anyone else unless we have your explicit consent.

Do you have to be in withdrawal to start treatment?+

You don’t need to be in withdrawal at your first appointment. However, when you are starting your Suboxone prescription you will need to abstain from using your substance of choice and you will experience some withdrawal symptoms. Then, you will start the prescription which will help with those symptoms. You may have some side effects as you adjust to the medication, but we will be available to help you with anything you need! Your provider will work closely with you throughout the process to check in on how you’re doing and help you through it. If you have concerns about this process, we’d be happy to schedule a time for one of our providers to give you a call to talk more in detail about it

Will I get a prescription at my first appointment?+

Yes! The provider will call in your prescription to the pharmacy of your choice. Refills will be prescribed during follow ups. We can home deliver your refills to you if you’d like as well!

Does the doctor only prescribe Suboxone, or do they prescribe other things too?+

For opioid dependence treatment, we only offer Suboxone. While Methadone can also be used to treat opioid dependence, you have to visit a clinic weekly to obtain the prescription, and that doesn’t fit with our telemedicine model. The providers can and do prescribe other medications to treat things other than opioid dependence. However, this is done on a case to case basis and we do ask that you seek help from a primary care provider for prescriptions you might need that are not directly related to your opioid dependence treatment. For example, if your Suboxone is making you nauseous, your provider might prescribe something to help with that.

Can I use my insurance to pay for this treatment?+

We do not accept insurance for our fees. We are happy to provide you a superbill that you can submit to your insurance company to potentially get some money back using your out-of-network benefits. That said, you can use your insurance to pay for medications and lab tests. Just take your insurance card with you to the pharmacy or the lab.

Do you accept Medi-Cal?+

We do not accept Medi-Cal for our fees. That said, you can use your Medi-Cal benefits card to pay for medications and lab tests. Just take your card with you to the pharmacy or the lab.

What's included in this monthly fee?+

The monthly fee includes scheduled follow ups via phone or video calls to refill your prescription. It also includes getting care via unlimited chat messages in between scheduled visits, unscheduled doctor visits and any care navigation as needed.

Do you offer refunds?+

You may cancel your appointment anytime within 24 hours before your appointment and no charge will be made. We do not offer refunds if you have spoken with the doctor over the phone or seen the doctor in-person.

Can I pay with cash or check?+

Since we are an online clinic, we can't accept cash or checks. Also, since we have a subscription based model (as opposed to paying at each appointment), it is more convenient to use a credit or debit card. If you don’t have a bank card to use, you can purchase a Visa gift card with your cash and we can run that through our card processing system.

How much will the prescriptions cost?+

If you have insurance, the prescriptions will be covered by your insurance company. If you don’t have insurance, the cost of your prescription could be around $100-$150 a month. Although, that does depend on your dose and which pharmacy you go to. If you choose to have your prescriptions home delivered, the cost would be lesser than if you choose to pick up from a pharmacy.

How long will this treatment take?+

This is not a quick fix. It really depends on how long you’ve been using opioids for and how much you use. How well you personally respond to treatment can make a big difference as well, so it really is hard to predict beforehand and varies patient to patient. The recovery process takes time, but we will be here to help you through every part of the process no matter how long it takes! Luckily, Suboxone will curb your cravings and won’t leave you feeling foggy, so you can function very well while on the medication. In short, the process will likely be long, but worth it.

Do you have a location closer to where I live?+

We are currently located in Redwood City, Modesto, and Pasadena. However, you only need to come in for your first appointment. Then, all follow ups will be done through a secure video call which you can do anywhere you feel comfortable. This means you only have to make the drive to see us one time. We can also home deliver your prescriptions.

How it works

Frequently Asked Questions

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