Ria Health is helping Highmark make recovery from alcohol use easier for members

For employees struggling with alcohol use, the road to recovery is rarely traveled alone, and employers can play a key role in boosting support by providing access to the right tools.

Ria Health, a leading telehealth provider specializing in alcohol use disorder treatment, recently announced a partnership with health insurance organization Highmark. Highmark's 5.6 million members now have access to Ria’s team of specialized physicians and coaches who can help move patients from high-risk to lower-risk behavior.

“People need evidence-based options when it comes to treating alcohol use disorder,” said Tom Nix, CEO of Ria Health in a press release. “Providing a private, at-home program that is clinically effective in helping people reduce or stop their harmful drinking will benefit the health and wellbeing of many members and their families.

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There are 21 million people with substance use disorders in the U.S., and of that population, 70% are employed, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Ria’s services are working toward bettering the odds of recovery; on average, 58% of Ria’s patients engage with their program for at least six months and the average patient shows a 75% reduction in their blood alcohol level, according to Nix.

“Telemedicine has been unquestionably beneficial to patient care since its inception,” Demetrios Marousis, director of behavioral health at Highmark, said in the press release. “But to a large degree those benefits have remained unrealized for those requiring specialized treatment for substance issues.”

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Ria Health’s treatment plan offers another choice for those seeking treatment for alcohol use disorders. Ria’s research suggests that a major barrier to people seeking treatment is that they believe abstaining from alcohol is their only option, which is why the telehealth provider’s clinical approach focuses on reducing harmful drinking by providing a program that supports goals of reduction as well as abstinence.

Highmark reported more than 40,000 members have sought help for alcohol use disorder.

“Ria Health is not only offering an alternative but, in doing so, creating treatment accessibility,” Marousis said. “It offers our insured who might not otherwise seek treatment for alcohol use disorders a measurable path to improved health and function.”