SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ria Health, a telehealth company providing an effective alcohol treatment program to help people reduce or stop drinking, today announced new coverage through Anthem, one of the nation’s largest health benefits companies, for its innovative alcohol-use telemedicine program. Ria Health “meets people where they are” by providing an innovative, clinically effective program that removes common treatment barriers such as stigma and time. By partnering with Anthem as a specialty provider, Ria Health expands its mission to bring effective affordable treatment for alcohol misuse to people who want to change their relationship with alcohol.
Findings from a study in the October 2019 issue of The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse demonstrate that Ria Health’s platform is a promising approach for alcohol reduction as an alternative to other treatment programs. Patients in the Ria program, on average, decreased their alcohol consumption by 66% after 6 months in the program; and non-drinking days increased from 1.8 days per week to 4.2 days per week. These outcomes, which illustrate the success many patients are seeing in the first 6 months of Ria’s program, were presented at the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Annual Conference - Innovations in Addiction Medicine & Science.
According to a 2019 study in Neurobiology of Stress, rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have increased in women by 84% over the past ten years, relative to a 35% increase in men. The study concluded that factors associated with increased rates of alcohol misuse in women include drinking to regulate the experience of negative emotions or being in a negative emotional state, and stress. Given that more than 60% of Ria Health members are women, the company will primarily focus its outreach efforts on this community — bringing them a more effective and affordable treatment option that can be accessed in the privacy of their own home without interfering with work or family obligations.
“Women who are experiencing heavy drinking combined with excessive amounts of stress are choosing telehealth solutions to help address their mental well-being and alcohol misuse,” said Tom Nix, CEO of Ria Health. “Telehealth meets women where they are, so they can continue to be active with their families, work, and communities. Many people are unaware that medication combined with counseling and support is a clinically effective way to help people who want to address alcohol misuse by cutting back or stopping completely. This is what Ria continues to provide with staggeringly successful results.”
Ria Health is the first program to provide evidence-based care delivered through telehealth that focuses specifically on alcohol misuse. “We are aligned with Anthem to combat the stigma women feel when contemplating alcohol treatment options,” Nix explains. “By improving accessibility to treatment and delivering care from the privacy and comfort of home, more people can take action toward changing their relationship with alcohol.”
About Ria Health
Ria Health is an evidence-based telemedicine program that helps people with alcohol use disorder decrease their alcohol consumption. Now available across 12 states, the company uses mobile technology, one-on-one interactions with addiction specialists, and daily support to help members accomplish their goals and improve their overall well-being. By engaging with physicians and coaches at home, measuring consumption with simple tools, and reducing cravings with FDA approved medications, the average member experiences improved well-being and significant reduction in the use of alcohol. Ria Health’s unique use of personalized care and data science was created by a team of doctors and technology experts. For more information visit www.riahealth.com or call 1-800-504-5360.
Ria Health’s program is available in the following 12 states; CA, FL, GA, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, TX & VA. In the next 12 months, Ria Health expansion goals include an additional 13 states expanding their service to more than 25 states.