Employer Purchasers Mull Virtual-First Plans, Virtual Primary Care

More purchasers than ever are offering virtual primary care to their members and may be on the verge of launching “virtual-first” plans, according to recent surveys by benefits consultants and brokers. However, health care experts tell AIS Health, a division of MMIT, that there’s an important distinction between the availability of such options to members and actual uptake — and point out purchasers aren’t yet convinced that virtual offerings will reduce costs or improve the member experience. 

Recent benefit surveys show increasing interest from employer purchasers in the availability of virtual primary care — which places a member with a telehealth primary care provider inside a traditional health benefit — and virtual-first plans, which are benefit designs that require members to use some sort of telehealth option (usually a telehealth PCP) as their primary point of contact with the health care system.