Why Employees Expect Virtual Care Benefits in 2023
October 26th, 2023 | 4 min. read
The pandemic did more than just accelerate the adoption of virtual care services – it highlighted the incredible need for care solutions that prioritize accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and personalized treatment. Virtual care checks all these boxes and more, and employees have taken note.
It’s no secret that people today expect a stellar benefits package. The good news is that this demand can be met by offering virtual care benefits as part of a comprehensive health plan.
You must be willing to adapt in how you offer health benefits, or you risk falling behind. There are many advantages to implementing virtual care in health plans – from reducing costs to supporting employee well-being. Embracing Advanced Primary Care with integrated virtual options can be crucial for your organization’s success and keep you ahead of the competition. It’s also what employees expect today.
Challenges in the healthcare system
Today's health system faces many challenges, especially when it comes to access and equity. Virtual care is valuable because it promotes health equity and offers a scalable, affordable, and accessible option. Key issues of our current healthcare system include:
- Rising costs: Healthcare expenses continue to skyrocket, making it difficult for employers and employees to manage cost-of-care budgets effectively.
- Lack of access to care: Long wait times and limited availability make accessing even basic primary care services challenging.
- Aging population: An aging population means increased demand for specialized care and chronic disease management.
- Decreased patient satisfaction: With increasing expectations around personalized service and convenience, many traditional care models struggle to meet patient needs adequately.
Advanced Primary Care with virtual primary care options is attractive to existing employees and can attract new talent.
What is virtual care?
Virtual care uses secure digital technologies – like video conferencing, mobile applications, and remote monitoring systems – to provide remote medical assistance. Virtual care encompasses a broad range of both clinical and non-clinical services, offering everything from appointment scheduling to care visits to prescription refills and more, for example:
- Remote consultations: Patients can consult with doctors via video calls or messaging apps without traveling long distances.
- Digital health monitoring: Wearable devices track vital signs and transmit data securely to providers for analysis, monitoring, and follow-up recommendations.
- E-prescriptions: Prescriptions can be sent electronically to pharmacies, saving patients an extra trip.
- Mental health support: Online therapy sessions allow those struggling with mental health issues access to help anytime they need it, from wherever they are.
Virtual care saw huge growth during the pandemic, and demand is expected to continue. Studies suggest this care format will have an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.9% between 2022 - 2030.
Virtual care reaches more patients
When added as an enhancement to Advanced Primary Care, CareAnywhere provides virtual care benefits to ensure your workforce receives consistent, convenient, and quality care without having to leave their homes or offices. Time, access to care, and cost are often barriers that prevent people from seeking care. For businesses that offer Advanced Primary Care as part of a benefits package, integrating virtual care into the plan means even those employees who can’t access an onsite or near site center will still have access to care.
Virtual care demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being while keeping up with the current trends in the healthcare industry. Offering the added benefit means employees can access a more helpful and effective care team, offsetting the current system that fails too many patients.
Existing and new talent wants to see proactivity
Marathon Health’s Complete Care model includes a range of core offerings with virtual care add-on options that cater directly to modern workforce expectations. Virtual health is a proactive and convenient solution that attracts and retains stellar talent looking for flexibility and convenience.
Benefits for everyone
There are many advantages to offering Advanced Primary Care enhanced with virtual care benefits. The benefits reach far beyond getting consistent, convenient, and quality care without leaving home. Other positive aspects of virtual care include:
- Increased access to primary care professionals: Eliminates the stress of trying to schedule appointments that won’t conflict with office hours. Virtual care offers easy access to medical advice when people need it, where they need it.
- Improved mental health outcomes: Studies consistently show that addressing mental health concerns early has a more promising outlook, resulting in healthier and more productive workers. Virtual care services – especially for mental health treatment – make people more likely to adhere to treatment plans and follow up with providers, leading to better overall health outcomes. Research shows nonadherence to treatment plans negatively impacts outcomes and contributes to a higher total cost of care.
- Enhanced patient satisfaction: Access to virtual care results in higher satisfaction levels and increased engagement, offering employers a higher ROI. Marathon Health research shows an average patient satisfaction score with NPS of 94 since the launch of the virtual care add-on, CareAnywhere.
- Savings on time and resources: Fewer physical visits translate to cost savings by reducing employee absences. It also reduces strain on internal resources like sick days usage.
- Consistent care: More consistent care can greatly enhance outcomes.
- Convenience: Easily schedule appointments and reduce wait times for more timely treatment.
Cost benefits of offering virtual care to employees
Virtual care benefits can lead to significant cost savings. By offering virtual care services through Marathon Health as an add-on to Advanced Primary Care, you can provide convenient access to care while reducing your total cost of care.
- Reduced absenteeism: The ease of virtual care means employees are more likely to address health concerns promptly, leading to fewer sick days and increased productivity.
- Better management of chronic conditions: Continuous monitoring and support for chronic illnesses helps people manage care effectively and avoid future costly complications. Given that research suggests an estimated 170 million Americans will likely be living with at least one chronic illness by 2023, finding a way to manage health is critical.
- Fewer emergency room visits: Virtual consultations ensure timely medical advice, reducing ER trips, a major driver of healthcare costs.
Virtual care integration with Advanced Primary Care
Integrating virtual care within Advanced Primary Care means top-notch care options for both new and existing workers. Employees receive personalized attention from dedicated primary care teams who understand their unique needs, and they don’t even have to leave home.
Visit our Solutions page to learn more about how Marathon Health’s CareAnywhere model integrates Advanced Primary Care to provide virtual offerings for a holistic employee wellness solution.
Up your Advanced Primary Care Model with Virtual Care from Marathon Health
Employers who offer virtual care benefits are proactive in caring for their employees’ well-being while saving on healthcare costs. Virtual care can improve employee health outcomes and save you money by reducing absenteeism, enhancing productivity, and improving retention.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve and provide your workforce with the best possible benefits, consider virtual care and Advanced Primary Care through Marathon Health today!
Sources:
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/us-virtual-care-market-report
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5723163
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1661624/
https://www.aha.org/system/files/content/00-10/071204_H4L_FocusonWellness.pdf