Beth Keyser: The benefits of virtual-first health plans are evident

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of telehealth arrived seemingly overnight.

Out of necessity, providers shifted their model of health care from in-person to virtual. Health insurers took notice. Now it seems virtual health care is here to stay as an integral part of what consumers are looking for in a health care plan.

Virtual-first health plans give consumers affordable access to virtual care options—first. While each plan boasts its own set of unique offerings, some plans can include access to symptom checkers that leverage artificial intelligence, routine wellness care, chronic condition management, behavioral health care and more.

As digital health technology advances and the health care industry continues to evolve, many health care consumers want the ability to use more digital methods, like virtual primary care offered by virtual-first plans.

Among people surveyed who have a primary health care provider, 2 out of 5 wish their provider used more digital forms of communication such as text messages and emails, and 71% would use a mobile texting app to chat with a primary care provider in real-time if they had access to it.

For consumers, virtual-first plans enhance their care by offering access to benefits, cost transparency tools and resources they need, when they need it. According to a study by our parent company, convenience and accessibility are among the top traits that people like or find most appealing about virtual care. The ability to chat with a doctor from wherever they are, care that is accessible and on-demand and the overall ease of use are also appealing.

A frequent consumer complaint is the fragmented nature of health care. Virtual-first health plans, such as those offered by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, make care more coordinated by allowing data to move between virtual-first providers, in-person doctors and specialists more seamlessly. This helps enhance the health care experience for consumers by reducing redundancies as consumers move from one care setting to another and, as appropriate, giving providers easier access to the person’s health information.

There are also advantages to virtual-first health plans from the employer’s perspective.

With the rising cost of prescriptions, inflation and an increase in the utilization of health care services since the pandemic, employers more than ever are looking for the right network options and plan designs to meet their employees’ health needs in the most cost-effective manner. Virtual-first plans help reduce barriers to care for the employer’s workers, helping to boost productivity with reduced travel and wait times associated with care, bringing immediate cost-of-care savings to employers.

The evolution of the health care system did not stop during the pandemic years. On the contrary, the pandemic created a skyrocketing demand for alternatives to in-person care that is lasting. Technological advances will continue to transform virtual care, but the results so far are encouraging—most notably increased consumer satisfaction and better, more affordable access to care.•

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Keyser is president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana.