Oar Health is an online service offering naltrexone subscriptions to those with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Users can fill out a brief assessment which is reviewed by a medical professional, then be given a naltrexone prescription if appropriate. After a one-time $50 fee, subscriptions cost $297 for three months of medication, which comes out to $99 monthly. It’s currently available in 42 US states.
Oar Health at a Glance
Cost: $99 monthly for medication after $50 fee
Insurance accepted: No
Location: 42 US states
Pros & Cons
Pros - Fast, free shipping
- No telehealth appointment to receive medication
- Ongoing access to medical team & community resources
Cons - More expensive than just getting a naltrexone prescription
- Must pay $50 consultation fee to get started
Preview Oar Health
Oar Health offers quick, simple, and almost-anonymous access to naltrexone, a medication for alcohol use that can help people limit or totally quit their drinking habits. Users can pay a $50 fee to take the assessment and see if naltrexone is a good fit for them, then, if eligible, medication will be shipped directly to their door within a few days.
Beyond the naltrexone prescription, Oar Health offers ongoing access to the support of a medication prescriber, a health coach, a Facebook group for community support, and extras like educational articles and guided reflections.
We think Oar Health could be a decent fit for those looking for quick access to naltrexone, but its services are not yet available nationwide, and it only provides help for alcohol use disorder (AUD). If you’re struggling with a dual diagnosis, multiple substances, or aren’t within a service area, Ria Health or Workit Health could be better alternatives. If you want an app with more extra features, you could try Sunnyside.
Detailed Review of Oar Health
We signed up for Oar Health’s services to test them out, and we were surprised at how quick and easy the process was. While it’s more expensive than simply getting a naltrexone prescription from an MD, a year-long prescription through Oar doesn’t require any sort of visit (you just have to verify your identity with a photo ID), which could be a big bonus for those looking to get started immediately without any risk of feeling shame from seeking help.
Additionally, its extra services and ongoing support could be useful for sticking to treatment. Its rating got slightly docked for not offering any form of dual diagnosis services or mental health support from licensed mental health professionals, plus it doesn’t accept insurance for treatment at this time.
Getting Started
Signing up for Oar Health requires paying a one-time $50 fee. After paying, you’ll fill out a relatively brief assessment of your current alcohol use, answer several questions about your medical history, and verify your identity by adding a picture of a valid ID and getting a scan of your face. This fills the role of a medical provider verifying your identity over a video call, since that is not part of the sign-up process.
After this process, you’ll have access to your member dashboard, which provides a place to see your medication status, a messaging area to talk to your provider, and a help center. You should receive an email from Oar Health within 24 hours of filling out your assessment.
When I went through this process, I had a message from a nurse practitioner in about five minutes asking a couple of clarifying questions about the answers I gave on my assessment, of which I was notified by text and email.
Medication-Assisted Treatment
If you’re deemed eligible for naltrexone, you’ll receive a notification that your medication is being processed and a message from your care provider with detailed instructions for how to take your dose. This will include common side effects you might experience, how to ramp up your dose to avoid these impacts, and contraindications and safety information (naltrexone should NOT be mixed with any type of opioid or kratom).
Medication should be shipped within a day or two of your assessment being processed by the medical provider. If you have any questions about your dosage or any symptoms you experience, you can message your care provider at any time.
Side effects when starting naltrexone are fairly common, and could include:
- Nausea
- Sleepiness
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
- Decreased appetite
- Painful joints
- Muscle cramps
- Trouble sleeping
The care provider’s message noted that side effects typically dissipate or go away entirely with continued use, but that it could be a good idea to ramp up your dosage more slowly if your body has any issues adjusting to the medication.
Coaches, Community Support, & “Pilot”
The Oar Health dashboard lists a section called, “Chat with a coach,” in which you can send and receive asynchronous messages with a “naltrexone expert.” There’s a bubble at the top of the messaging thread that says, “Send us a message, and we’ll get back to you within 48 hours.”
When I sent a message in the coaching portal saying I was nervous to start treatment, I got a response back from a coach in about a day. She sent a thoughtful response about how I’m not alone in how I’m feeling, gave me a few different approaches I could try and see what might work best for me, and asked some follow-up questions about my goals.
There’s also a Facebook group for Oar members wanting additional community support. You must be added by an admin to join the group.
In addition to its other services, “Pilot” is a section on the Oar Health dashboard with tons of other recommendations and activities. These include book recommendations, guided reflections, advice for figuring out your alcohol substitutes, and other educational articles. When I was exploring these features, each article or activity opened in a new web page on my phone, which I found a bit clunky. An app with these features built in would allow for a much smoother user experience, but there’s still lots of good information and helpful tools in this section of the dashboard.
Cost of Oar Health
If you plan on using Oar Health, regardless of whether or not you end up getting a naltrexone prescription, you must pay an initial $50 consultation fee. This covers the cost of a licensed prescriber looking over your diagnostic assessment and determining whether medication is right for you.
If you are prescribed naltrexone, an Oar Health subscription costs $99 monthly, charged every three months at $297. While it doesn’t accept insurance at all, many FSA and HSA plans will allow funds to be used toward a subscription. If you want to use your FSA or HSA, be sure to double-check with your plan, as Oar Health can’t guarantee eligibility.
Here’s what comes with that membership:
- Ongoing access to medical providers
- Check-ins with health coaches
- Monthly medication prescriptions (with free shipping)
- Access to the other resources on Oar Health
If you are not prescribed medication, you can still access Oar’s resources after you pay the one-time $50 membership fee. Note that Oar Health does not issue refunds for any of its services, but you can cancel your subscription any time from the member dashboard.
Who Does Oar Health Serve?
Oar Health can serve anyone over the age of 18 in 42 US states looking for help with their alcohol use. It does not yet have clinicians available to diagnose and treat AUD in the following states: Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.
Note that you cannot sign up for a partner or family member—medications can only be prescribed directly to a patient.
User Reviews for Oar Health
Oar Health doesn’t have an app, so it’s difficult to find a robust set of reviews, however there are over 400 user reviews on Trustpilot, with overwhelmingly positive things to say. However, there are a few reviews on the Better Business Bureau that report issues with billing or with the medication.
Reviews from Trustpilot | >400 reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars
Positive reviews on Trustpilot mention how much the medication has helped them curb unhealthy drinking habits, how easy it is to get started, and how they felt encouraged and not shamed by the process. Many mention that the regular check-ins feel helpful without being “smothering.”
Negative reviews mostly revolve around having negative physical reactions to the medication, and being frustrated that they couldn’t receive a refund (something spelled out in the sign-up process). All negative reviews have been responded to by a representative of Oar Health.
Reviews from the Better Business Bureau | 9 reviews | 1.67 out of 5 stars
Of the nine reviews on BBB, most complain about issues with billing and the phone number going to voicemail when they needed customer service. All negative reviews have been responded to by Oar Health.
Review from Reddit: r/Alcoholism_Medication, r/naltrexone, and r/stopdrinking
There are a few threads on Reddit that mention using Oar Health to obtain naltrexone, and reviews from redditors claiming to use Oar are overwhelmingly positive. Many state that it’s quick and easy to sign up and that they like the anonymity of not having to have a video session to get started. A few mentioned that they had physical side effects at first and had to take small doses to start, but that Oar helped them through that process as well. Oar Health’s CEO, Jonathan, has personally responded to a few of these threads, clarifying information and thanking and encouraging folks who have used Oar, which is cool to see.
Alternatives & Competitors
Oar Health could be a great option if you want quick access to naltrexone plus some extra support, but if you have multiple mental health concerns or substance use issues, another platform could be a better option.
Sunnyside
Price: $99 monthly for medication; $12–$36 monthly or $99–$299 yearly for app subscription
Insurance Accepted: No
Services: Medication; chat-based coaching; AI chatbot; community space; drink tracker
Sunnyside has been around a long time as an app to help people stop drinking or cut back on their alcohol use. It recently added Sunnyside Med to its offerings, with a very similar approach as Oar Health. Pay $99 monthly to receive naltrexone shipped to your door, plus pair this medication with Sunnyside’s app to get community support, one-on-one coaching, daily reminders of your goals, a drink tracker, and more.
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
Ria Health
Price: $175–$449 monthly
Insurance Accepted: Yes
Services: Customizable MAT plans with several med options; recovery coaching; treatment for co-occurring disorders
Ria Health offers more medication options than Oar Health, but otherwise operates similarly, offering nationwide help for AUD to those over 18. In addition to customized medication plans prescribed by licensed healthcare professionals, Ria Health offers one-on-one health coaching and additional treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
Learn more in our Ria Health review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Accepts many major insurance plans
- Comes with Bluetooth breathalyzer
- Available nationwide
Cons - Sends prescription to pharmacy instead of direct shipping
- Medication cost not included in subscription
Workit Health
Price: $129–$300 monthly
Insurance Accepted: Yes
Services: MAT for OUD and AUD; coaching; support groups
Workit Health offers MAT for both alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. It also treats underlying and co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, depression, HIV, and Hepatitis C. On top of its MAT services, it hosts a comprehensive library of therapeutic courses. Right now, it offers treatment to those over 18 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
- Sends prescription to pharmacy instead of direct shipping
- No one-on-one coaching or therapy
Why You Can Trust My Review
“I personally signed up for Oar Health to see how quickly and easily someone could get help for AUD through its services. While I didn’t expect to qualify for a naltrexone dose given my low alcohol use (I didn’t lie on the form, I have 1–2 drinks per week), I was immediately sent a prescription after paying $50 and filling out the assessment. Given that naltrexone has very few side effects and contraindications, it makes sense that they basically fill the prescription for anyone who is serious about going through the process, but it threw me off a bit that there wasn’t more interaction with a medical professional before being prescribed a dose.
If you need naltrexone and would like access to additional support without having to schedule an appointment, Oar Health could be a decent way to get it.”
History & News About Oar Health
Year Founded: 2020
Founder: Jonathan Hunt-Glassman
Headquarters: Brooklyn, NY
Publicly Traded? No
Oar Health was founded by Jonathan Hunt-Glassman, a former healthcare executive who struggled with addiction before finding relief through medication. Oar Health’s care model was designed by its Chief Clinical Advisor, Joshua D. Lee, MD, Professor of Population Health and Medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of the NYU Fellowship in Addiction Medicine.1
The goal of Oar Health is to provide stigma-free help to those with moderate to severe alcohol use disorder through quick, online access to naltrexone without requiring in-person or video visits before providing prescriptions.
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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IAC’s Newco Incubator Launches Addiction Recovery Platform Oar. (Jan 19, 2022). Oar Health. Retrieved from: https://www.oarhealth.com/news/iacs-newco-incubator-launches-telemedicine-platform-oar
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Oar Health Overview. (2025). PitchBook. Retrieved from: https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/492610-24#overview
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Frequently Asked Questions. (2025). Oar Health. Retrieved from: https://www.oarhealth.com/faq
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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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Church, Chelsey. (April 2025). Ria Health Review: Cost, Pros & Cons, & Who It’s Right For. ChoosingTherapy.com. Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/ria-health-review/
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Church, Chelsey. (May 21, 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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