Nurx Launches in Maine, Leveraging Telemedicine to Provide Affordable and Convenient Access to Healthcare

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Nov 07, 2019, 10:54 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nurx, the health tech company providing convenient and affordable care for sensitive health needs, is now available in Maine. Nurx connects patients with providers through the company's app and website, providing high-quality care for sensitive health needs including birth control, emergency contraception, HIV prevention, and STI home testing and treatment. As the leading online provider for contraception, Nurx delivers personalized care to more than 200,000 patients across the country.

There are more than 64,000 women in Maine who live in "contraceptive deserts", or areas where they face significant geographic barriers to contraceptive care.¹ However, this gap in healthcare access may increase due to the recent Title X "gag rule," which prohibits health centers from receiving federal funding if they choose to provide comprehensive reproductive care. Before the gag rule was instituted, Title X funding provided over four million low-income Americans with affordable healthcare.² In Maine, Title X funding provided nearly 24,000 low-income people health services, with birth control making up the majority of health needs.³

"We're more committed than ever to provide people in Maine with the compassionate care they need and deserve, especially for sensitive health needs that can be difficult to access and are often tied to shame or judgment," said Nurx CEO Varsha Rao. "We are providing a patient-first healthcare experience with online consultations, home delivery of medication, and transparent and affordable pricing for people with and without health insurance."

Nurx leverages its telemedicine platform to provide convenient access to sexual health needs. Nurx offers comprehensive birth control options that can be tailored to each patient's needs, including the pill, patch, ring, and shot - many of which are affordable and cost-effective for those with and without insurance. The majority of the company's patients said they've faced barriers to accessing birth control before learning about Nurx, including difficulty being able to pay for a doctor's appointment (43%), finding an available doctor's appointment (31%), and covering the cost of birth control (39%).

Nurx eliminates the average wait time of 24 days to find an available doctor's appointment⁴, as well as the average two hours Americans spend driving to a doctor's office, sitting in the waiting room, and filling out forms for a limited amount of face-to-face time with the doctor.⁵A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine validated that "telecontraception" services, including Nurx, adhere to the same high standards of clinical care as practiced in a traditional clinic setting.⁶

After a patient shares their health history through the Nurx app, their Nurx medical provider will consult with the patient regarding their request within 1-2 days while the Nurx platform checks their insurance. If approved by their Nurx provider, medication and home testing kits arrive in discreet packaging at the patient's home within 3-5 days. After their initial consultation or exam, Nurx patients also have unlimited access to their provider, allowing them to ask as many questions about their health condition as they'd like.

Nurx recently introduced STI Home Test Kits, which allows patients to test themselves in the privacy of their own home for many of the most common STIs. In just a few months since introducing STI home testing, Nurx has provided thousands of patients across the country with their STI results. For patients who test positive, Nurx clinical providers offer oral antibiotic treatment when appropriate, or they will work closely with each patient to make sure they get connected with in-person care.

Committed to giving people full control of their sexual health, Nurx also offers PrEP, a daily pill that is up to 99 percent effective at ensuring HIV-negative people stay HIV-negative. Nurx is the only company that allows patients to consult with a provider to determine if PrEP is right for them, complete the necessary lab work with its PrEP Home Test Kit, receive and fill the prescription, and have PrEP delivered straight to their door - all without needing to visit a physical health center.

Nurx has also removed a critical barrier to cervical cancer screening by offering a HPV Home Test Kit, which allows women to conveniently and affordably check their risk for cervical cancer from the comfort of their own home.

Nurx is available in 28 states and the District of Columbia. The full list includes Alabama, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and now Maine.

About Nurx
Nurx is a health tech company providing convenient, affordable, and personalized care for sensitive health needs. By reimagining the healthcare experience, Nurx offers patients transparent pricing and judgement-free care whenever and wherever works best for them. We believe everyone should have the freedom to live well and be in charge of their healthcare decisions, regardless of their circumstances. From diagnosis to delivery, we make every part of getting healthy and staying healthy, better.

Sources
¹Power to Decide²Planned Parenthood
³Center for Reproductive Rights⁴Merritt Hawkins⁵American Journal of Managed Care⁶New England Journal of Medicine

Media Contact
Allison Hoffman
Communications Lead
[email protected]

SOURCE Nurx