COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way Americans access healthcare.
When the country shut down in March 2020, telehealth became the new standard, as it provided a safe way to access healthcare without stepping foot in a doctor’s office or emergency room. Almost overnight, the virtual model exploded in utilization. Popularity soared, too.
Pre-pandemic, telehealth was most often used for urgent care – treatment of colds, flu, minor injuries and such – but it soon became clear that telehealth is more than a stop-gap solution. More than 18 months since COVID-19 began its sweep across the globe, utilization remains high, and its scope has expanded dramatically.
Telehealth now provides solutions for mental healthcare, primary care, and chronic disease management – areas where provider shortages have restricted access and increased direct and indirect costs for employers.
Moreover, employees clearly prefer telehealth. With remote work now the norm, they’re enjoying a new level of flexibility and freedom in their work-life – and they want the same thing from their healthcare. Said simply, virtual care is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It is now a must-do.
For businesses, expanding telehealth benefits is a win-win.
Amid ballooning health insurance expenses, virtual care drives down health cost, reduces time away from work, and improves employees’ health and productivity.
The Healthcare Model of the Future
Telehealth’s efficacy is well-studied and reported, but it took a pandemic to put the model on the map in a meaningful way.
Prior to COVID-19, virtual visits made up fewer than 0.01% of all ambulatory visits. By mid-April 2020 – just one month after the nation’s shut down – virtual care represented nearly 70% of these visits.1
While utilization leveled out as the vaccine became widely available, telehealth’s long term trajectory is strong: A July 2021 report from McKinsey & Co. shows that telehealth use has stabilized at levels 38 times higher than before the pandemic,2 and Doximity reports that up to $106 billion of current U.S. healthcare spend could be virtualized by 2023.3
There are many reasons for this, including strong consumer preference. A March 2021 Sykes survey shows nearly 88% of Americans want to continue using telehealth for nonurgent consultations after COVID-19 has passed, with 85% reporting it has made it easier to get the care they need.4 A report from Accenture reinforces these results: Telehealth patients felt care was more personal, timelier, and more convenient, and nine out of 10 patients reported care quality was as good or better than before.5
88% of Americans want to continue using telehealth for non urgent consultations after COVID-19 has passed.
Clinicians are on board, too, with 77% of providers saying that nontraditional care venues, including telehealth, are maintaining or improving patient health outcomes.
Improving access to care is a clear key advantage of telehealth – but it’s just one of many benefits. For business owners forced to spend more and more money each year on healthcare, the potential for cost-savings and improved productivity at work – not to mention the opportunity to give employees the healthcare they want and need – make virtual care a No. 1 priority.
A New and Better Way to Address Mental Health Needs
Pandemic aside, America was experiencing a mental health crisis long before COVID-19.
Conditions like anxiety and depression have been exacerbated by the stress of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, fear of illness, isolation, financial distress, and the constant spring of alarming news have created new onset behavioral health issues that will affect people long after the virus is under control.Indeed, more than four in 10 Americans have been affected in negative ways: A June 2020 Centers for Disease Control survey revealed a whopping 40.9% of respondents reported they were suffering from a mental or behavioral health condition,7 and research from Kaiser Family Foundation shows 45% of Americans report COVID-19 is harming their mental health.8
In fact, a federal report shows only 62% of U.S. psychiatrists accept insurance,9 and a Milliman study revealed people seeking mental health services are more than five times more likely to seek care from an out-of-network mental health professional than for medical or surgical services.10 Without any relief from insurance coverage, the cost of mental healthcare becomes a significant obstacle.
To continue reading this FREE article about The Evolving Role of Telehealth Benefits in a Post-COVID World…
Download the Full PDF Here
Click on the icon or the link above to download the full PDF of "The Evolving Role of Telehealth Benefits in a Post-COVID World" from MeMD.