Pelago Joins apree health Partner Network to Offer Multi-addiction Substance Use Management Benefit

Employers and Health Plans in apree health’s digital ecosystem gain access to Pelago’s evidence-based, virtual substance use management solution

NEW YORK, August 31, 2023 —Pelago (formerly Quit Genius), the leading digital clinic partner to U.S. businesses and health plans for substance use management, today announced its partnership with apree health, formerly Castlight Health and Vera Whole Health. Employers and health plans will now have access to Pelago’s integrated, digital substance use management program through apree health’s curated digital ecosystem.

“This marks another milestone in our efforts to expand access to substance use care through strategic, high-value partnerships,” said Yusuf Sherwani, M.D., CEO and co-founder of Pelago. “Joining with apree health means we’re now part of the industry’s most comprehensive health navigation ecosystem. We’re proud to be working together to boost access and remove barriers to care by providing clinically based, physician-led, digital substance use treatment programs to hundreds of additional employers and health plans via the apree network.”

Under the agreement, apree health provides Pelago’s tobacco, alcohol, and opioid substance use disorder treatment (SUD) programs to employers and payers as part of its health navigation platform.

“There is a substance use crisis happening in the U.S. By adding Pelago to our robust network of ecosystem partners, we’re providing employers and health plans with an innovative solution that meets today’s substance use disorder needs,” said Tamar Rudnick, Senior Vice President of Growth, apree health. “Pelago’s ability to treat diverse populations with complex social, occupational, mental health, and regulatory considerations is unmatched in the industry. Through this partnership, we’re ensuring that those in need have access to the right kind of support and care they deserve.”

With Pelago as part of the apree health network, employers and health plans will benefit from:

• Segmentation and identification with a data driven assessment of the individuals who can benefit most from Pelago
• Administrative support, including eligibility management
• Activation and engagement, including educating members about Pelago and guiding them on their care journey through the existing portal employees already use for benefits and other digital solutions
• Personalized data driven recommendations, providing support for removing barriers to substance use care through personalization, and guiding members toward Pelago based on their unique situation
• Incentivization, including tying rewards to meaningful moments on members’ individual substance use journeys, encouraging the healthiest outcomes and behavior change
• Simplified procurement to ease implementation along with flexible billing through either apree health or claims billing

Pelago’s virtual clinical care model for substance use management is the industry’s most complete and most clinically validated. The company recently released results of the first ROI study ever conducted on the impact of a substance use management program in an employer population. The study demonstrated that Pelago reduced medical claims on an annual basis by $9,367 per participant while delivering a 3.0x ROI.