Employer-Offered Telehealth Will Continue to Grow in 2018

Availability of telemedicine offered by larger employers in the U.S. is close to reaching a saturation point, as 96% of large employers are expected to offer it in their array of health benefits in states where it’s allowed next year. In stark contrast is the fact that only 8% of workers at one out of five of those companies’ workers are taking advantage of it, according to the Large Employers’ 2018 Health Care Strategy and Plan Design Survey—meaning there is plenty of room for growth, and for cementing relationships with occupational medicine customers. The authors suggest that more employers are looking closely at ways to keep costs in check because of projections that overall health benefit costs will go up another 5% in 2018. Urgent care operators who offer occupational medicine services should bear these data in mind when seeking new business or negotiating with existing customers.