Frequently Asked Questions

Oar Health helps people take back control over alcohol with prescription medication and complementary evidence-based tools. Through Oar, members can connect with medical professionals, get medication prescribed if appropriate, and get medication delivered to them privately and conveniently. Oar members have ongoing access to a team of medical professionals, certified health coaches, digital resources, and a community of fellow members to help them cut back on drinking or quit entirely.

Oar Health is for people who want to drink less or give up alcohol entirely. Oar is proud to support members pursuing both moderation and sobriety. The majority of Oar's members join with the goal to drink less without quitting entirely. Treatment through Oar is available to people who meet the diagnostic criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder, which is defined as an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.

Yes. Although alcoholism is still a commonly used term, Alcohol Use Disorder is the more modern medical terminology for an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite negative health, social or professional consequences. AUD encompasses the conditions sometimes referred to as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction, and the colloquial term, alcoholism. Oar Health allows people who want to drink less or quit to connect with a licensed medical professional who can diagnose AUD, recommend treatment options, and prescribe medication proven to help people drink less or quit if medically appropriate.

Oar Health makes it simple to get started with a daily pill to drink less. First, you'll complete an online assessment that includes questions about your alcohol use, overall health, and medical history. Then, a medical provider will prepare a treatment plan, including prescription medication if appropriate. If medication is prescribed, our partner pharmacy will ship it to you within a few days. Finally, you'll get ongoing support — unlimited access to your medical team and health coaches, digital check-ins and resources, and a community of people like you focused on changing their relationship with alcohol.

Medical providers practicing on the Oar Health platform most commonly prescribe naltrexone, the recommended frontline medication for the treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder.

Numerous studies have shown naltrexone can reduce the frequency of alcohol consumption, the quantity of alcohol consumed, and cravings for alcohol.

Your Oar Health membership includes access to several types of support that we encourage you to mix and match to assemble the recovery toolkit that fits you best. Support options include unlimited access to the medical team, unlimited messaging with certified health coaches, a weekly SMART Recovery meeting hosted by a licensed mental health professional, a member community, and periodic digital check-ins.

Oar Health's coaches are National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches with expertise in building healthy habits. Coaches can help you to understand how your prescribed medication works, build new routines, and stay motivated and accountable as you make progress toward your goals.

You can message your coach at any time and expect a reply within 24 hours.

You can review our privacy policy here.

Your assigned medical provider will determine whether prescription medication is appropriate for you based on several factors, including your alcohol use, the ways alcohol is affecting your life, your medical history, other medications that you take, and any supplements or illegal drugs that you may use.

Please be as honest and accurate as possible when completing your initial assessment and communicating with your medical provider. Medications such as naltrexone are safe for most people to take, but cannot be safely used by people with certain medical conditions or who take certain contraindicated medications. For this reason, it is important to give your medical provider accurate and thorough answers to their questions, so that they can make the best medical decision for your health.

Oar Health provides treatment for adults, 18 years of age or older.

Oar is available in the following states:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Oar Health is available in most US states, but not all quite yet. Legally, a clinician must be licensed in the same state where a patient is located in order to provide care via telehealth. For this reason, Oar is only available in the states where clinicians practicing on the Oar platform are licensed.

No.

While we understand that you may want to help a loved one who is struggling with alcohol use, the medical providers on the Oar Health platform can only prescribe medication directly to a patient. (It is a violation of our terms of service to sign up using someone else's name.) You are welcome to share our website and resources with a loved one or to use as a reference as you talk with them about treatment options that may fit them. You are also welcome to contact us at support@oarhealth.com, and we will try to help however we can!

The medical providers practicing on the Oar Health platform are medical doctors, nurse practitioners and other qualified professionals. All providers are licensed in the states in which they provide care, and all providers are trained and vetted before they begin practicing on Oar Health’s platform.

A medical provider will review your initial assessment within 24 hours. Keep an eye on your email. We'll send you an alert when you have a new message from your provider.

No and no. To get started, you will complete your online assessment on your own schedule and at your own pace. Then, once a provider is assigned to you, you will be able to connect with them via messaging, online chat and other communication tools.

As with all medical care, your medical provider needs to confirm your identity before treating you. In order to confirm your identity, we will ask you to submit a photo of your government-issued identification (such as your driver's license) and pose for a real-time selfie. Our onboarding process makes it quick and simple, and it's important to providing responsible care.

Oar Health is not intended to replace your primary care provider (PCP). It’s important that you continue to see your PCP and any other healthcare professionals involved in your care and keep them up to date on the care you receive via Oar.

In a medical emergency, please call 911 immediately. If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or find yourself in a mental health crisis, you can also call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Click over to our Reference Library to learn more about naltrexone, the recommended frontline medication for treatment of alcohol use disorder.

Your medication should be on its way to you within one to two days of your prescription being sent to the pharmacy by your medical provider. To check on the status of a pending order, please log in to your Oar Health member dashboard or contact us at support@oarhealth.com.

Oar Health partners with licensed, US-based pharmacies to provide private and convenient delivery of your medication. Shipping is fast, discreet and included in the price of your membership.

If your medication is shipped from Honeybee Health, you can contact them by phone at 833-466-3979 or by email at support@honeybeehealth.com. Honeybee Health's address is 3315 Helms Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232.

If your medication is shipped from Health Warehouse, you can contact them by phone at 800-748-7001. Health Warehouse's address is 7101 Industrial Road, Florence, KY 41042.

If you do not wish to get your medication from an Oar partner pharmacy, you have the right to have your prescription transferred to a pharmacy of your choice. Please contact us at support@oarhealth.com if you need help transferring your prescription.

Yes.

Oar Health partners with licensed, US-based pharmacies to provide private, convenient delivery of any medication that is prescribed as part of your treatment plan. The cost is included as part of your Oar membership.

However, if you would prefer not to receive your medication from an Oar partner pharmacy, you have the right to transfer your prescription to a pharmacy of your choice. There may be additional charges at that pharmacy.

If you need help transferring your prescription, please contact us at support@oarhealth.com.

Here's how pricing works at Oar Health:

A $50 consultation fee is all that’s needed to get started! Once paid, an Oar provider will review your intake assessment and ask any necessary follow-up questions. If medication is prescribed, you'll start on a subscription membership plan. Your membership will include ongoing access to the medical team and health coaches, prescribed medication including shipping and delivery, digital check-ins and resources, and a community of people changing their relationships with alcohol.

The current subscription membership cost is $297 for 3 months of membership to Oar. Subscription costs auto-renew every 3 months. However, you can pause or cancel your subscription membership at any time before the renewal date.

Here's how pricing works at Oar Health: You pay a one-time, upfront fee for an initial assessment by a medical provider. This fee is charged whether or not medication is prescribed. If medication is prescribed, your Oar Health membership will begin, and your card on file will be charged for the first installment of your membership. Your membership fee includes ongoing access to medical providers, health coaching, prescribed medication (including shipping and delivery), account support and ongoing access to the Oar Health platform. A membership renewal fee will be charged periodically based on the term of your membership. Members can log in to their Oar Health account at any time to cancel or adjust the terms of their membership.

No. If you are not prescribed medication, there will be no recurring membership charge. The initial one-time fee for your assessment is charged regardless of whether medication is prescribed.

Yes. Fast, discreet delivery of prescribed medication is included in the price of your Oar Health membership.

No. The initial consultation fee is non-refundable. We are also unable to offer subscription membership fee refunds or to accept returns of prescription medication. However, you may pause or cancel your subscription membership at any time before the renewal date to avoid unwanted charges.

Yes, you can cancel your Oar Health membership at any time to avoid future payments.

Yes, active Oar Health members always have the option to manage their membership by using the "get now" and "get later" options on their member dashboard. Or, email us at support@oarhealth.com.

No. Oar does not accept insurance reimbursement.

Often, yes. Many Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Savings Accounts (FSAs) allow their participants to pay for Oar using their HSA or FSA funds. Please check the details of your specific plan to confirm eligibility, as we cannot guarantee the eligibility of Oar Health's services under all HSA and FSA plans. If your HSA or FSA administrator requires specific documentation to process your reimbursement, please contact us at support@oarhealth.com.