If you get your addiction treatment from an online-only telehealth company, you may have wondered what would happen to your medication if that company shut down, lost its ability to prescribe, or simply dropped you as a patient. It is a fair worry, and it is one worth planning for now rather than in a crisis. At Fresh Start Health, we offer telehealth across Kentucky and four in-person clinics in Eastern Kentucky, so your care never depends on a single app staying in business.
The short answer: your treatment does not have to stop
Losing your telehealth provider does not mean losing your medication. Buprenorphine (Suboxone) treatment can be transferred to a new, Kentucky-based provider, usually within a few days and without a gap in your prescription. The key is having a provider who can legally see you both by video and in person. That is exactly what a hybrid clinic like Fresh Start Health is built to do.
Why online-only addiction care is on shaky ground
During the COVID-19 emergency, the federal government temporarily allowed clinicians to prescribe controlled substances, including buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, by video visit without a prior in-person exam. That flexibility is what makes online-only Suboxone services possible.
The catch is that it was never made permanent. The DEA and HHS have now extended it four separate times, most recently through December 31, 2026. There is still no permanent rule in place, and patient-access advocates have openly warned providers not to count on yet another extension. If the flexibility ends or tightens, an online-only company has no clinic to fall back on, and its patients could be left scrambling.
The six-month rule that online-only clinics can’t meet
There is a second, more immediate issue that affects opioid use disorder care today. Under the federal buprenorphine telemedicine rule, a patient who starts treatment by telehealth can be prescribed for up to six months before an in-person medical evaluation is required to keep going. After that window, the law requires a face-to-face visit to continue the medication.
A telehealth-only company simply cannot provide that in-person visit. It has no exam rooms and no local clinicians. That means even in the best case, patients of online-only services may eventually be told to find a provider who can see them in person. A hybrid provider solves this before it becomes a problem.
How Fresh Start Health is different
Fresh Start Health is a hybrid addiction and telehealth provider rooted in Kentucky. We combine the convenience of telehealth with the stability of real, staffed clinics:
- Four Eastern Kentucky clinics — Ashland, Grayson, Morehead, and Vanceburg — for in-person visits whenever they are needed or required.
- Statewide telehealth for Kentucky patients who prefer or need to be seen from home.
- Full medication options, including Suboxone, Sublocade, and Brixadi, plus counseling and psychiatry.
- Medicaid and many commercial insurance plans accepted, and we are a 340B covered entity, which helps keep care affordable.
Because we can see you either way, your treatment continues no matter how the telehealth rules change. You are not betting your recovery on a policy deadline or on a company staying in business. And if you live within a certain radius of our clinics and have transportation issues, we can often provide free transportation to the closest clinic.
Switching to Fresh Start is easier than you think
If you are already in treatment with an online-only service, moving your care to a Kentucky-based provider is usually straightforward. In most cases there is no need to stop or interrupt your medication. We help transfer your records, verify your Medicaid or insurance, and get you scheduled, often within the same week. You can be seen by telehealth or at any of our Eastern Kentucky clinics.
Who actually does your in-person exam? With online-only clinics, it’s a stranger
Here is a detail most patients never hear until it matters. When an online-only provider is finally forced to meet an in-person exam requirement, they usually cannot do it themselves — they have no clinic and no local clinicians. Instead, they send you to a separate, third-party physician or lab just to check the box on the exam, using a “referring” or “consulting” practitioner arrangement allowed under some rules.
The problem is that the physician doing that exam is not the person managing your addiction treatment. They do not know your history, they are not adjusting your medication, and they hand you back to the online prescriber the moment the visit ends. Your care gets split between people who never talk to each other. This matters most for buprenorphine (Suboxone). Under the federal buprenorphine telemedicine rule, once the first six months of telehealth prescribing are up, the main path for continuing treatment is that the prescribing practitioner has personally conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation. An online-only company that has never met you in person has to fall back on a narrower alternative and route you to an outside examiner instead. Fresh Start does not have that problem: the same clinician who prescribes your medication can also see you in person.
Reference: Under the federal buprenorphine telemedicine rule (21 CFR § 1306.51(b)(2), 90 FR 6504, Jan. 17, 2025), after six months of telehealth prescribing, continued prescriptions require that the prescribing practitioner has conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation, unless another authorization under 21 U.S.C. 829(e) applies.
At Fresh Start Health, the same MAT clinician who prescribes your medication can also see you in person at one of our Kentucky clinics. There is no hand-off to a stranger, no fragmented records, and no gap in who is responsible for your recovery. That continuity is not just more convenient — it is safer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my Suboxone prescription if my online telehealth provider shuts down?
If your telehealth-only provider closes or loses the ability to prescribe, your medication does not have to stop. A Kentucky-based provider like Fresh Start Health can pick up your care, usually within a few days, and keep your buprenorphine (Suboxone) going without a gap. We accept Medicaid and many commercial insurance plans, offer telehealth across Kentucky, and have in-person clinics in Ashland, Grayson, Morehead, and Vanceburg. Call us at (606) 225-8200 or use our chat function to get started.
Is telehealth for addiction treatment ending in Kentucky?
Not right now. The DEA and HHS extended the telehealth prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances through December 31, 2026, so buprenorphine can still be started and continued by video visit for now. But this is the fourth temporary extension in a row and there is still no permanent rule, so the flexibility could tighten or end after that date. The safest choice is a provider that offers both telehealth and real in-person clinics, so your care continues no matter how the rules change.
Why is a provider with physical clinics safer than an online-only service?
Federal rules already require an in-person medical evaluation to continue buprenorphine treatment beyond the first six months for patients started by telehealth. A telehealth-only company cannot provide that in-person visit, which can force you to find a new provider or risk a gap in your medication. Fresh Start Health offers telehealth plus four in-person clinics in Eastern Kentucky, so we can meet every requirement and stay your provider long-term.
How do I switch my addiction care to Fresh Start Health?
Switching is simple and there is usually no need to stop your medication. Call us at (606) 225-8200 or use our chat function, and we will help transfer your records, verify your Medicaid or insurance, and schedule a telehealth or in-person visit, often within the same week. You can be seen at any of our Eastern Kentucky clinics in Ashland, Grayson, Morehead, or Vanceburg, or continue by telehealth.
Do online-only Suboxone providers do the in-person exam themselves?
Usually no. Online-only providers typically do not have clinics or local clinicians, so when an in-person exam is required they send you to a separate third-party physician or lab, while the online prescriber still manages your medication remotely. That splits your care between people who do not coordinate with each other. At Fresh Start Health, the same MAT clinician who prescribes your medication can also examine you in person at our Ashland, Grayson, Morehead, or Vanceburg clinics, so your addiction care stays with one team. Call us at (606) 225-8200 or use our chat function to learn more.
Don’t wait for a shutdown to have a plan
The best time to secure a stable, Kentucky-based home for your addiction treatment is before you need one. Whether you want to switch now or simply want a backup provider in place, Fresh Start Health is here across Kentucky, in person and online. Call us at (606) 225-8200 or use our chat function to talk through your options today.