WELLNESS TELEHEALTH
5 WAYS VIRTUAL CARE WILL IMPROVE HEALTHCARE DELIVERY IN 2020 A
BY DAN TRENCHER
s the state legislature-mandated Council on Health Care Delivery Systems continues to explore the best way to structure, implement and pay for universal access to healthcare for all California residents, California brokers, plan sponsors and benefits administrators will no doubt see an expanding role for virtual care. It is one aspect of healthcare delivery that brokers and others will increasingly rely on and will likely be a crucial element of whatever recommendations are made. Below are five virtual care predictions brokers will likely see play out in 2020 and beyond:
1. Virtual care becomes a top priority for
large employers, health systems, and public plans. With mounting pressures to improve access while controlling costs, the importance of virtual care is increasing for nearly all U.S. health plans, and the majority are offering or considering services. Building off the virtual care programs almost all large employers currently offer, 51% of large employers say that expanding virtual care options they offer to their employees is a top priority in 2020. Sixtyfour percent of U.S. hospitals and health systems now offer consumer virtual care programs, and an additional 24% plan to provide consumer telemedicine by year’s end. As for public plans, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services opened the door for innovative care models with a landmark regulatory shift for the more than 3.4 million California residents enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plus plans.
22 | CALIFORNIA BROKER
2.
Consumers will increasingly demand integrated, personalized care on their terms. Thanks to digital and “big data” technologies, built around gaining consumer insights and uncovering trends, choice abounds in terms of where individuals turn to access products and services. Because of the depth and breadth of “big data” availability, it is now possible to customize and personalize nearly all aspects of customers’ online experiences. Consumers increasingly demand such personalization when it comes to their healthcare needs as well. Virtual care enables people to get the right treatment at the right time for resolution of their needs and, as a result, utilization and advocacy are accelerating. Already, more than 70% of American consumers express interest in virtual care as it provides a broader range of choices in providers, services offered, and when, where, and how those services are received. A strong selling point for California brokers when speaking with clients is that customer satisfaction among users of telehealth services ranks among the highest of any consumer category studied by J.D. Power.
3. Virtual care will help close the
access gap for mental healthcare As the infographic below demonstrates, a study of employees across the United States found only 20% felt mentally and emotionally healthy over a two-week period. That should be a wakeup call for all plan sponsors and benefits managers given the adverse effects of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety have on productivity, decision-
- CalBrokerMag.com -
MARCH 2020
