Forge Health, a provider of mental health and substance use treatment services, has teamed up with TBD Health to expand access to free PrEP.
The partnership will allow Forge patients to get on PrEP if they are interested and eligible. Currently, patients must be commercially insured to qualify for TBD's sexual health services. The company hopes to accept more plans soon.
Under the Affordable Care Act, PrEP regimens that effectively reduce the risk of HIV transmission are free under most health plans. At-home STI testing, however, is not covered under the ACA, TBD executives said. The company aims to eliminate barriers to getting on PrEP by making at-home testing easy and simple. Eligible patients will face zero out-of-pocket costs related to PrEP through the program.
“Sexual health is health. It’s inseparable from mental health and overall wellness,” TBD Health Co-CEO Daphne Chen said in a press release. “Partnering with Forge Health allows us to provide not only life-saving medication like PrEP but also the comprehensive care and education necessary to address the broader determinants of health.”
The partnership is a recognition by Forge of the important connection between mental and physical health, executives told Fierce Healthcare. It also underscores the need for integrated, stigma-free care to improve patient outcomes.
“Forge Health understands we can’t be everything to everyone,” said Robert D'Annibale, Forge’s head of corporate strategy & development. “We really understand and value the intersection of behavioral health and physical health. We understand that with improved mental health, typically you will see a result in better whole-person health.”
Once a Forge patient is confirmed as eligible for TBD services, they will have access to free PrEP through telehealth, at-home or in-person testing options and other wraparound services. Also as part of the partnership, TBD is training Forge clinicians on PrEP, why it’s important and how to bring it up with patients.
“Individuals typically feel stigmatized or embarrassed to ask about a life-saving medication,” D’Annibale told Fierce Healthcare. “We want to create a path forward and break down those barriers.”
Forge offers specialty programming for veterans and first responders, the LGBTQ+ community and individuals diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers. Its integrated model uses multidisciplinary care teams to address social and co-morbid medical needs. The company partners with primary care docs, specialty medical groups and health systems to provide integrated mental healthcare with streamlined referral management, information exchange and care coordination.
Meanwhile, TBD’s first foray into B2B offerings was in early 2024, going live with customers Folx Health and Wisp. “We’re allying ourselves with other mission-driven companies … so we can work together to solve care gaps,” Chen told Fierce Healthcare at the time.