Consumer telehealth · Online addiction treatment for opioids and alcohol
Boulder Care
Boulder Care is an online addiction treatment provider for opioid and alcohol use disorder, with medication, peer recovery coaches and case managers through an app.
Strong fit
- Adults with opioid or alcohol use disorder who want treatment by app
- Medicaid members in the states Boulder Care serves
- Patients who want peer coaches and help with housing or other needs
Weak fit
- Patients who live outside Boulder Care's seven states
- Cash payers who want a posted monthly price
- Anyone who needs inpatient detox or residential care
Bottom line
Boulder Care is a strong option for Medicaid and insured adults who want opioid or alcohol treatment by app, with peer coaches and case managers. It suits patients in its seven states best. Cash payers who want a posted price, or anyone needing residential care, should look elsewhere.
Score breakdown
Weights: Outcomes 35% · Product 30% · Implementation 20% · Pricing clarity 15%.
Stephanie Strong founded Boulder Care in Portland, Oregon, in 2017 and runs it as chief executive. Boulder Care treats opioid use disorder with buprenorphine and alcohol use disorder with naltrexone, acamprosate and related medications.
Each patient has a care team of a clinician, a peer recovery specialist and a care coordinator, reached by video and messaging in the Boulder app. Case managers help with housing, legal and job problems. Boulder Care does not require abstinence and does not discharge patients for missed visits or a return to use.
Boulder Care says about 90% of its patients stay in care after one month and about 70% stay for a year. A study with Oregon Health & Science University compared its telehealth model with that university's outpatient program, and the Joint Commission has accredited its behavioral health care.
Most of Boulder Care's patients have Medicaid, and much of its work is paid through value-based contracts with health plans. It treats patients in Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Washington.
Advance Venture Partners led its $35 million Series C in May 2024, bringing total funding to about $85 million.
Ophelia fits when a patient needs only opioid treatment and wants a posted self-pay price. Bicycle Health fits when the patient wants the same clinician at every visit and access to daily peer groups.
Competitor landscape
| Vendor | Overall | Ease of implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Ophelia | 7.9 | 8.2 |
| Bicycle Health | 7.7 | 8.3 |
| Boulder Care | 7.6 | 7.6 |
| Workit Health | 7.6 | 8.0 |
Pricing
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | Boulder Care bills Medicaid and commercial insurance, and also offers a self-pay option. |
| What usually drives cost | For Boulder Care, your cost depends on your plan, whether Boulder Care is in network for you, and which medications you are prescribed. |
| What to ask before you buy | Ask Boulder Care for its self-pay monthly price, what your plan will cover, and whether you can switch to insurance later. |
| Note | Boulder Care accepts HSA and FSA funds and has no minimum length of treatment. |
| Published pricing | Boulder Care does not publish a self-pay price. It says GoodRx can bring some medications down to about $40 a week. |
Leadership
Methodology
| Weight | Factor | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| 35% | Customer outcomes | Whether buyers get measurable operational or clinical-workflow results after go-live |
| 30% | Product | Capability depth, reliability, and fit for the job the category buys |
| 20% | Implementation | How hard it is to stand up, integrate, train, and stabilize |
| 15% | Pricing clarity | Whether a buyer can model total cost without a mystery quote |
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Highly recommend | Strong outcomes and product with manageable caveats |
| Recommend | Solid fit for the right buyer; know the tradeoffs |
| Conditional | Only with a specific use case or heavy caveats |
| Not recommended | Avoid for most buyers in this category |
Read our full methodology for how we weight scores and assign recommend labels.