NEW YORK / Feb 21, 2024 / Business Wire / Today, Talkspace, a leading online behavioral health company, and Wheel, the foremost virtual care platform powering the next generation of virtual healthcare, announced they will partner to offer patients access to board-certified general practitioners and licensed behavioral health providers across the U.S. – conveniently and virtually.

In particular, the partnership will provide Talkspace and Wheel clients, including employers, payers, life sciences companies, and more with a single solution to more effectively screen for, and support, patients holistically addressing a wide range of needs, from general wellness to mental health.

“We recognize that today’s employers cater to dynamic and diverse workforces, including remote workers or employees who may not live in healthcare epicenters,” said Natalie Cummins, Chief Business Officer at Talkspace. “Together with Wheel, we offer organizations true whole-person virtual care and, more importantly, peace of mind that their employees and students have convenient access to high-quality healthcare.”

In certain states, access to healthcare professionals remains significantly limited. Compounding this issue is continued long wait times to see therapists and psychiatric providers. More than 160 million Americans reside in areas with insufficient mental health professional resources and over 30 million Americans reside in healthcare deserts, leaving them without any accessible physicians to see for their general health. This strategic partnership between Talkspace and Wheel represents a crucial stride towards ensuring all Americans have access to quality care.

“By leveraging Talkspace’s nearly 5,000 licensed providers, we not only expand capacity and ensure speed-to-care, but offer customers a choice of proven digital modalities, ensuring they can access much-needed help right from their mobile devices or the comfort of their own homes,” said Michelle Davey, CEO at Wheel.

Through this unique partnership, Talkspace and Wheel will bring customers a single, scalable, and cost-efficient solution for virtual care delivery. The ability for patients to match with a clinician within minutes through Wheel’s platform and match with a dedicated, licensed therapist through Talkspace’s platform from a single destination offers greater access, convenience, and flexibility.

Talkspace will be available to Wheel customers with seamless integration for patients and customers alike. The partnership improves patient access and depth of integrated care across the U.S., giving customers more choice, flexibility, and patient-first options to ensure high-quality patient care.

About Talkspace

Talkspace (Nasdaq: TALK) is a leading virtual behavioral healthcare company committed to helping people lead healthier, happier lives through access to high-quality mental healthcare. At Talkspace, we believe that mental healthcare is core to overall healthcare and should be available to everyone.

Talkspace pioneered the ability to text with a licensed therapist from anywhere and now offers a comprehensive suite of mental health services from self-guided products to individual and couples therapy, in addition to psychiatric treatment and medication management. With Talkspace’s core psychotherapy offering, members are matched with one of thousands of licensed providers across all 50 states and can choose from a variety of subscription plans including live video, text or audio chat sessions and/or asynchronous text messaging.

All care offered at Talkspace is delivered through an easy-to-use, fully-encrypted web and mobile platform that meets HIPAA, federal, and state regulatory requirements. Talkspace covers approximately 113 million lives as of September 30, 2023, through our partnerships with employers, health plans, and paid benefits programs.

For more information, visit www.talkspace.com.

About Wheel

Wheel is the leading health tech company powering the next generation of healthcare. Wheel’s virtual care platform provides enterprise organizations with the right care programs and clinicians they need to deliver nationwide virtual care at scale. In partnership with its diverse client base of life sciences, payer, digital health, and retail customers, Wheel has delivered more than 4.5 million patient visits and has raised over $200M in funding backed by leading investors, including Lightspeed, CRV, Coatue, Tusk Venture Partners, and Silverton Partners. To learn more, visit www.wheel.com.