Birches Health Secures Pennsylvania State Contract to Scale Telehealth Gambling-Disorder Care

New updates have been reported about Birches Health.

Birches Health has signed a strategic contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) to deliver statewide, telehealth-first treatment for gambling disorder, positioning the company as a key clinical infrastructure partner in a high-need market. The agreement, which is both insurance-covered and state-supported, is designed to reduce geographic and financial barriers to care, with emphasis on underserved and rural communities where access to in-person behavioral health services is limited.

The move targets a significant and growing public health problem: research indicates that 60% to 73% of Pennsylvania adults gamble, with as many as 6.4% meeting thresholds for problem gambling and nearly 30% considered at-risk, driving sustained demand for specialized treatment. Through this partnership, Birches Health will deploy its measurement-informed, telehealth model – incorporating individual and group therapy, peer support, financial counseling, and digital engagement – to deliver care from licensed clinicians trained specifically in gambling disorder.

DDAP’s decision to contract with Birches Health advances its mandate to broaden problem-gambling services and strengthens the state’s treatment infrastructure by integrating a scalable, tech-enabled provider with established clinical outcomes. Birches reports that 85% of its patients show improvement in gambling-disorder symptoms, alongside clinically meaningful reductions in co-occurring anxiety, metrics that support DDAP’s value-driven approach to behavioral health purchasing.

For Birches Health, the partnership deepens its foothold in the public-sector market and underscores a strategy centered on building long-term relationships with state agencies and health plans to scale sustainable models of care. Executives highlight that DDAP funding and coordination will expand access for uninsured and underinsured residents and support case management and wraparound services that address financial, social, and emotional impacts of gambling disorder.

Services under the contract are rolling out immediately and are available statewide, with patient access via DDAP-supported referral channels such as the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline or directly through Birches Health. The collaboration signals a broader market shift toward evidence-based, virtual behavioral health solutions for niche but costly conditions, positioning Birches Health as a preferred partner for other states seeking to modernize and expand gambling-disorder treatment capacity.