K Health, the data-driven virtual primary care platform providing affordable, personalized healthcare to millions of adults and children, today announced its acquisition of Trusst, the mental health app connecting people and providers for on-demand text-based therapy. The acquisition reflects the company’s commitment to integrating mental and physical health, disciplines that are often treated separately in the traditional healthcare system.
Text-based and virtual care is a scalable, affordable way to provide quality treatment to millions of people who otherwise may not be able to access it. The acquisition of Trusst will expand K Health’s mental health offering and give people the option of a trusted, vetted clinician to turn to 24/7, for therapy and medication, without the need for insurance, an appointment, or to leave their home.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for quality and affordable mental health treatment began increasing. It’s estimated that by 2025 there will be a shortage of 250,000 therapists.1
“People need therapists all day, every day, not just at their scheduled appointment time,” said Bill Hudenko, Ph.D., the former CEO of Trusst and now Global Head of Mental Health at K Health. “Together with K Health, we’ll be able to offer millions of people access to a therapist right in their pocket. Our text-based platform will merge mental health support and premium interactive content with the 24/7 personalized, high quality primary care service that K Health already provides.”
Anxiety and depression treatment plans are included in K Health’s $12/month membership, which includes unlimited access to doctors 24/7, free care for kids over 3, and more. K Health is expanding its Primary Care offering to include chronic disease management and prevention, plus general wellness. K Health clinicians are also able to prescribe FDA-approved medication to treat hundreds of conditions, making it easier for people to manage their medications and long-term health.
“Nearly 70% of physical ailments have a mental health component, yet many primary care doctors don’t know who to refer their patients to,” said Allon Bloch, co-founder and CEO of K Health and Hydrogen Health. “Good health requires good mental health and with Trusst, K Health will not only give millions of people access to a therapist whenever they need one, but will be able to help them identify and treat any physical ailments that may be associated.”
In addition to therapy, Trusst has built a proprietary, simulated way for users to have virtual conversations with national experts on topics ranging from shyness to trauma. The conversations look and feel like live text exchanges, and will allow K Health to offer millions of people high quality care from professionals who would otherwise be prohibitively expensive or inconvenient to access.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About K Health
K Health, headquartered in New York, is the digital healthcare company on a mission to use the power of shared knowledge to get everyone access to better, affordable healthcare—whenever, wherever they need it. K Health is a free tool that uses AI to help people understand how doctors diagnose and treat those with similar symptoms and conditions (aka “People Like Me”). Its data-driven platform consolidates the knowledge of thousands of doctors and billions of clinical data insights to get people trusted information and treatment. K Health also offers the option to chat with a doctor without insurance for less than a copay. The K Health unlimited membership includes treatment for almost all primary care conditions, 24/7 Urgent Care, anxiety and depression treatment, free pediatrics care, and more.
K Health has helped over 5 million people get access to higher quality and affordable care. It is available 24/7 in all U.S. states, except Alaska and Hawaii. For more information, please visit www.khealth.com
About Trusst
Trusst was founded by psychologist, researcher, and professor Bill Hudenko, Ph.D., as a secure messaging-only platform that connects people with a licensed therapist in their state. Trusst connects clients and providers on a secure, private, HIPAA-compliant platform designed to fit today’s demanding lifestyles. Using an app, those looking for therapeutic support can get started with a leading provider right away using messaging-based conversations. Licensed mental health professionals use Trusst to more easily expand their practices, help more clients, and augment their income in the face of declining reimbursements within the industry.
Dr. Hudenko holds a joint appointment as a faculty member at Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine and Dartmouth College’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. His research focuses on the use of technology to improve mental health delivery and patient outcomes.
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Workforce, & National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. (2016, November). National Projections of Supply and Demand for Selected Behavioral Health Practitioners: 2013–2025. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/data-research/behavioral-health-2013-2025.pdf
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