Affect Therapeutics is one of the first online substance use addiction programs of its kind, offering small cash rewards of up to $599 total for completing challenges related to curbing addictive behaviors. It’s also starting to offer mental health treatments for anxiety, depression, and more. Affect is in-network with most major insurance plans, including some Medicare and Medicaid.
Affect Therapeutics at a Glance
Cost: Varies by insurance
Insurance accepted: Yes
Location: 16 states (basic app features available nationwide)
Pros & Cons
Pros - Tailored programs for different substances
- Can treat mental health & substance concerns
- Claims to be mostly free with insurance
Cons - Limited to 16 states so far
- Each state has different offerings
- Must use insurance for MAT program
Preview Affect Therapeutics
Affect Therapeutics offers a treatment program for substance use addictions through an app that works to rewire users’ brains with its contingency management program, offering small monetary rewards for completing certain exercises and challenges. It also provides medication-assisted treatment for a variety of substance use disorders through insurance, and some states offer therapy and psychiatry for other mental health concerns, like depression, anxiety, OCD, and more.
It seems to be expanding rapidly, so if this program interests you but is not currently offered in your state, it may be worth checking back in a few months. As I live in Oregon, I was able to use the free features of the app (available nationwide) and see the back end of what its substance use addiction program looks like, but I was unable to review its mental health treatment services, as they are not yet available in my state.
While this whole-person addiction treatment method could be a great fit for those in a state where it’s offered, others may need an alternative. We recommend Workit Health or Eleanor Health as other high-rated options for MAT and whole-person-centered treatment for addiction.
Detailed Review of Affect Therapeutics
If you’ve tried quitting substance use in the past but had a hard time sticking to your goals, Affect’s rewards-based, whole-person-centered approach could be worth a shot. People enrolled in the program can receive one-on-one and group therapy, MAT, and a contingency management system that rewards completed challenges with small sums of real money.
Review our scoring criteria for online medication-assisted treatment programs here.
Review our complete editorial policies here.
Getting Started
I downloaded the Affect app from the Apple App Store and used that to sign up for an account. It asked me my legal name and email address, which state I live in, and what type of treatment I’m seeking. Since Oregon doesn’t offer mental health treatment yet, I stated that I was looking for help with alcohol use. Then it asked for insurance information and a phone number. After that, I was able to navigate around the app.
While you certainly can sign up through the website on a computer, the app is where you’ll do the actual challenges and meetings, so I found this to be the most convenient way to get started.
Addiction Treatment
Affect states that it can treat problematic/addictive use of alcohol, cannabis, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine/crack, Rx painkillers, and methamphetamines. It promises that its program is highly effective, treating over 15,000 people, with a 55% increase in sober days over the first month.
Affect follows a comprehensive treatment plan, offering one-on-one counseling, small cash rewards for progressing in treatment, medical support and MAT prescriptions, a habit tracker, peer support, and even help with housing, jobs, and healthcare. Users can earn up to $599 in the app as they complete challenges—the short challenges immediately available for any app users are $0.05 each, but these become slightly larger sums for attending meetings and completing other milestones. More challenges unlock daily and weekly.
Those enrolled in the program can expect to have weekly one-on-one therapy appointments, plus 2X weekly group sessions. This could be in addition to doctor visits to manage cravings and other physical symptoms, plus meeting with a peer support specialist. Providers on Affect are able to prescribe medications like buprenorphine (Suboxone), naltrexone, and others to help with cravings.
There’s also a community tab in the app that allows you to chat with other people enrolled in your state who are seeing your same counselor.
Mental Health Treatment
Affect offers mental health treatment plans involving therapy, psychiatry, or both. Right now, mental health treatment through Affect is available in six states: Arizona, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, and Washington. In most states currently offering care, users can get an initial appointment within 48 hours.
Affect states that it can offer treatment for anxiety, depression, trauma/PTSD, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and postpartum depression. The treatment plan involves developing new coping skills and tracking progress through its digital point system.
Week one of treatment will entail meeting with a therapist to first determine your needs, then also meeting with a medical provider for a health assessment and to discuss any mental health medications, if the psychiatry track is chosen. If you’re enrolled in therapy, the next seven weeks will revolve around one-on-one sessions plus continuing to work with the medical provider to refine medications, when relevant. There will also be daily work on coping skills in the app. By week nine, you’re expected to stay connected to your care team as much as is necessary, while also accruing points and celebrating wins with your online community in the app.
Cost & Insurance Coverage
The cost of treatment will depend on your insurance coverage. When I logged into the app, I was not able to sign up for MAT services without insurance (and since I don’t have an SUD diagnosis it didn’t make sense for me to try), so note that this is necessary for receiving care. It looks like users in mental health treatment may be able to pay out of pocket, but costs are unclear on the Affect website.
Affect is in-network with many insurance plans, including:
- Aetna
- Ambetter
- Anthem
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- CareSource
- Cigna
- Evernorth
- Humana
- Some Medicaid plans
- Some Medicare Advantage plans
- Oscar
- UnitedHealthcare
- Wellcare
It also accepts several regional insurance plans, so if you’re interested in Affect, it’s worth signing up to see if your insurance is in-network.
Who Does Affect Therapeutics Serve?
Affect Therapeutics is currently active in 16 states, offering addiction treatments through MAT, contingency management, and other forms of support for those with substance use disorders. Right now, all 16 states at least offer treatment for alcohol, cannabis, and stimulants, while others offer more robust treatment options, including intensive outpatient treatment in five states and counting. Six states so far also offer mental health treatment for concerns like anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, bipolar disorder, and postpartum depression. Its services are only available to adults 18+.
| State | Treatments Offered |
|---|---|
| Arizona | Mental Health Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids Intensive outpatient |
| California | Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids |
| Colorado | Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids |
| Florida | Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants |
| Illinois | Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids Intensive outpatient |
| Indiana | Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants |
| Iowa | Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids |
| Montana | Mental Health |
| Nebraska | Mental Health Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids |
| Nevada | Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants |
| New Mexico | Mental Health Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids Intensive outpatient |
| North Carolina | Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants |
| Ohio | Mental Health Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids Intensive outpatient |
| Oregon | Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids Intensive outpatient |
| Virginia | Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids |
| Washington | Mental Health Alcohol Cannabis Stimulants Opioids |
User Reviews for Affect Therapeutics
User reviews for Affect are generally quite positive. People loved being able to earn small sums of real money for completing challenges as well as the other treatments available through the app. Negative reviews mostly center on issues with insurance or not being able to get refills on medications. Affect Therapeutics also has high marks from employees on both GlassDoor and Indeed, with 4.7 and 4.2, respectively.
Google Play Store | 4.4 Stars out of 5 Stars | 2.89k Reviews
Positive reviews focus on getting great care from the staff and counselors, plus appreciating the ability to earn real money from completing the challenges. Many note that they feel encouraged by the accountability of the daily check-ins, as well as the community channels.
A few negative reviews commented that the app was glitchy and they had issues logging in or logging their intake for the day. Others mention not being able to get medication refills, or that they were frequently filled late, leaving them without a huge piece of their treatment plan on those days. A few reviewers were initially quoted low monthly payments and then had to pay hundreds of dollars that their insurance didn’t reimburse.
Reviews from Apple App Store - 4.7 out of 5 stars | 375 reviews
There are few written reviews on the App Store, but they are almost entirely positive, mentioning that they felt heard and respected by everyone they came in contact with on the app. Others mention that the little bit of money-making available is quite motivating to keep coming back every day.
Negative reviews are slight on the App Store. One reviewer mentioned that communication channels are lacking—they had a busy few weeks and couldn’t get in to any meetings that worked for their schedule and ended up getting taken off the schedule, and when they tried to message various staff members they got quite a runaround until they were able to link up with the right person. Another reviewer commented that the tracker was often lagging or wouldn’t register inputs.
Alternatives & Competitors
If you’re in a state in which Affect is available and you’re seeking whole-person addiction treatment, it could be a great option. However, with its limited availability and specific treatment plan, it may not be best (or even an option) for many. Other options we recommend include Eleanor Health, Workit Health, and Sunnyside.
Eleanor Health
Cost: $249 monthly
Insurance Accepted: Yes
Services: MAT for OUD/AUD/Stimulant Abuse; Therapy; Peer support
Available Nationwide? No; 15 states
Eleanor Health offers MAT, one-on-one therapy, and peer support for those wanting to stop using opioids, alcohol, and stimulants. Its whole-person approach to addiction treatment means that it also focuses on co-occurring mental health concerns, providing a more comprehensive care model. Unlike Affect, Eleanor Health offers a self-pay option, available for $249 monthly.
Eleanor Health is currently available online in Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. Certain states also offer in-person treatment.
Learn more in our Eleanor Health review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Accepts many major insurance plans
- Several different medications available
- Both online and in-person care in select states
Cons - Services are limited to select states
- Insurance copays are difficult to determine in advance
Workit Health
Cost: $129–$300 monthly
Insurance Accepted: Yes
Services: MAT for OUD and AUD; coaching; support groups
Available Nationwide? No; 10 states
Workit Health offers MAT for opioid and alcohol use disorders, as well as therapeutic group support and mental health courses available through the app. Those enrolled in the program will submit regular drug screenings, made much more convenient through the app. Plus, users can get treatment for co-occurring disorders, like anxiety and insomnia, as well as physical health concerns like HIV and hepatitis C.
Workit Health is currently available in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, and Washington.
Learn more in our Workit Health review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Offers MAT for multiple substance use disorders
- Treats co-occurring disorders
- Accepts many major insurance plans
Cons - Not available nationwide
- No one-on-one coaching or therapy
Sunnyside
Price: $99 monthly for medication; $12–$36 monthly or $99–$299 yearly for app subscription
Insurance Accepted: No
Services: Medication for AUD; chat-based coaching; AI chatbot; community space; drink tracker
Available Nationwide? Yes
Sunnyside began as an app to help people limit or quit drinking. It recently added prescription services for naltrexone for $99 monthly, while maintaining its other services, including community support and one-on-one coaching. Plus, you can use its drink tracker and daily reminders as encouraging tools throughout the day.
Learn more in our Sunnyside review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Fast, free medication shipping
- 15-day free trial of app
- Active community space
Cons - No free features
- Progress tracking only unlocks after 7 days of logging
Why You Can Trust My Review
“After testing out what features I could in the app and reading reviews from real users and employees, I can safely recommend Affect for those in serviced states looking for substance use disorder treatment that serves the whole person. Its unique contingency management approach, offering small sums of money for completing challenges, appears to be highly effective for many, and has solid scientific evidence to support the approach.
I’m excited to keep my eye on Affect Therapeutics as it continues to grow and offer more services. Once it offers mental health services in more locations, we’ll update our review and let you know whether that could also be an option we recommend for online therapy and medication.”
History & News About Affect Therapeutics
Year Founded: 2020
Founders: Jeff De Flavio, Kevin Ryan, Kristin Muhlner, Rachel Lin
Headquarters: New York, NY
Publicly Traded? No
Affect was founded in 2020 as the first app-based contingency management program of its kind. It launched its first pilot program in California in 2021 and received a grant from the NIH for clinical trials. Since then, Affect has expanded quickly, adding five states to its alcohol use disorder program in 2022, eight more in 2023, and five additional states in 2024. It added cannabis use disorder treatment in 2023, and opioid use disorder treatment in 2024.
2025 marked the launch of Affect’s mental health care program, which is currently available in six states. It continues to expand its services, including intensive outpatient care, as well as growing the insurance plans it accepts.1
In November of 2025, Affect announced that it raised $26 million in Series B funding, which it says will accelerate commercialization, expand its geographic footprint, and deepen its health plan, employer, and public partnerships.2
ChoosingTherapy.com strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
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Affect. (2025). “People-First. App-Based. Science-backed.” Retrieved from: https://www.affect.com/about/
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Affect. (November 5, 2025). “Affect Therapeutics Raises $26 Million Series B.” Retrieved from: https://www.affect.com/news/affect-series-b-fundraise/
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Crunchbase. (2025). “Affect.” Retrieved from: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/affect-therapeutics
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Church, Chelsey. (May 2025). Eleanor Health Review: Cost, Pros & Cons, & Who It’s Right For. ChoosingTherapy.com. Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/eleanor-health-review/
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Church, Chelsey. (May 2025). Workit Health Review: Cost, Pros & Cons, & Who It’s Right For. ChoosingTherapy.com. Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/workit-health-review/
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Church, Chelsey. (March 2025). Sunnyside App Review: Pros & Cons, Cost, & Who It’s Right For. ChoosingTherapy.com. Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/sunnyside-app-review/
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