Ideal Option vs Affect Therapeutics
They differ on 6 of 10 things we check. No winner here: the better one is the one that fits what you need and how you'd pay.
Ideal Option
You visit an Ideal Option clinic, usually in person for the first appointment, where an addiction medicine clinician can start buprenorphine or other medication for opioid, alcohol or stimulant use, with counseling and follow-up visits by clinic or video.
Affect Therapeutics
You download the Affect app, check that your insurance and state are covered, and then meet a therapist and a prescriber by video.
Where they differ
- Good for
- Ideal Option: Adults with opioid use disorder, including fentanyl, who want to start buprenorphine quickly; People with Medicaid or Medicare looking for medication treatment for addiction
- Affect Therapeutics: Adults using stimulants, opioids, alcohol or cannabis who want treatment from their phone; People with Medicaid, Medicare or commercial insurance in a state Affect serves
- Probably not for
- Ideal Option: Anyone in crisis: call or text 988; for an overdose call 911
- Affect Therapeutics: Anyone in crisis: call or text 988
- Cost
- Ideal Option: Copay with insurance (Medicaid, Medicare, commercial); self-pay price not published
- Affect Therapeutics: Copay with insurance (Medicaid, Medicare and commercial plans); self-pay price not published
- Where
- Ideal Option: Web
- Affect Therapeutics: iPhone, Android, Web
- Privacy
- Ideal Option: Grade B+
- Affect Therapeutics: Grade A
- HIPAA
- Ideal Option: Not stated
- Affect Therapeutics: Yes
The same for both: kind of help (a therapist), how you pay (insurance), research (early research), sells your data (no).
In crisis or thinking about suicide? In the US, call or text 988. This page is information from our reviews, not medical advice.