• Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC; Talkspace; and Health Gorilla join Wheel's ecosystem to provide everything customers need to stand up virtual care at scale.

AUSTIN, Texas, March 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wheel, the virtual care platform powering the future of care, today announced it is adding three high-impact companies to its Integrated Virtual Care Ecosystem — Talkspace; Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC (Cost Plus Drugs); and Health Gorilla. With these additions to the Wheel ecosystem, Wheel customers can easily connect patients with high-quality mental health services via Talkspace, provide transparent, affordable home delivery pharmacy options to patients via Cost Plus Drugs, and deliver seamless lab and diagnostic services with Health Gorilla.

The Wheel Integrated Virtual Care Ecosystem extends Wheel's virtual care platform by bringing together best-in-class technologies, care networks, and solutions to provide everything customers need to stand up virtual care at scale.

Consumers continue to value convenience factors in deciding whether to see a healthcare provider virtually versus in person, and an independent Wheel-commissioned study revealed they are even willing to pay more to do so. Wheel's ecosystem simplifies and streamlines care access for patients within a single destination while enabling healthcare providers to meet these consumer demands with comprehensive, integrated services.

All three companies will be available to Wheel customers this year, with capabilities for seamless referral and program integrations to create a great experience for patients and customers alike. These collaborations improve 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. From payers and large retailers to digital health and life sciences companies, Wheel provides its customers with the infrastructure, clinical network, care programs, and data to drive effective, accessible, and affordable virtual care at scale.

"With over one million patient visits last year and increasing demand, we've recognized the need for deeper ecosystem integrations. This ensures our existing and future collaborators can access a diverse network to deliver unparalleled care to their patients — while putting an end to the dizzying maze created by disconnected point solutions that leave patients behind and unnecessarily drive up costs," explained Michelle Davey, CEO of Wheel.

Cost Plus Drugs, Talkspace, and Health Gorilla join existing ecosystem companies, including Candid Health and more. Wheel is continuously evaluating additional ecosystem solutions that support its vision for a patient-centered, flexible virtual care experience.

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Wheel in our mission to make prescription drugs more affordable for consumers. At Cost Plus Drugs, our commitment to transparent drug pricing has always been unwavering, and with Wheel we are dedicated to providing affordable and accessible healthcare solutions for all," said Alex Oshmyansky, CEO of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company.

"Millions of Americans face extremely long wait times to see mental health professionals," explained Natalie Cummins, Chief Business Officer at Talkspace. "With Wheel, we can offer organizations convenient access to true, whole-person virtual care within a single, convenient solution."

"Partnering with Wheel empowers Wheel providers with access to a national lab network and actionable clinical data, enabling the highest-quality care and the best patient outcomes. With Wheel and Health Gorilla, patients and their care teams can seamlessly leverage all diagnostic results for fast and effective virtual care," said Steve Yaskin, CEO & Co-founder of Health Gorilla."

Wheel's Integrated Virtual Care Ecosystem is available to all Wheel customers who build their virtual care programs on the Wheel platform.

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 wheel.com.

About Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC (Cost Plus Drugs)

The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC (Cost Plus Drugs) aims to fundamentally change the way the pharmaceutical industry operates. As a public-benefit corporation, its social mission of improving public health is just as important as the bottom line. Cost Plus Drugs transparently charges a standard markup on every drug it sells. The costplusdrugs.com online pharmacy launched in January 2022 now carries over 2,300 prescription products, delivered by mail to thousands of happy customers every day. Customers can also go to participating retail pharmacies to receive Cost Plus Drugs pricing through the Team Cuban Card. Cost Plus Drugs is working with health plans, managed-care organizations, pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and self-insured employers to bring these same savings to employer-sponsored benefit plans nationwide. 

About Talkspace

Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK) is a leading virtual behavioral healthcare provider 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 health 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, including therapy for individuals, teens, and couples, as well as psychiatric treatment and medication management (18+). With Talkspace's core therapy offerings, members are matched with one of thousands of licensed therapists within days and can engage in live video, audio, or chat sessions, and/or unlimited asynchronous text messaging sessions.

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. More than 130 million Americans have access to Talkspace through their health insurance plans, employee assistance programs, our partnerships with leading healthcare companies, or as a free benefit through their employer, school, or government agency.

For more information, visit www.talkspace.com.

About Health Gorilla

Health Gorilla is a secure health data-sharing platform, designated as both a national Qualified Health Information Network™ and a California state Qualified Health Information Organization, powering national and regional health information exchange while protecting patient data privacy and security. Health Gorilla is uniquely positioned to enable organizations to seamlessly participate in both TEFCA℠ and the California Data Exchange Framework. Health Gorilla provides real-time access to the broadest possible network of healthcare data sources in the US, making it easy for authorized users to get the most complete view of a patient's relevant health information. Through its collaborations with healthcare providers, insurers, and government organizations, Health Gorilla plays a vital role in improving health outcomes, enabling participation in government-endorsed data exchange frameworks, and reducing administrative inefficiencies. Health Gorilla's platform hosts innovative technologies designed to normalize patient data and protect patient privacy. For more information, visit healthgorilla.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) @HealthGorilla.

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