May 29, 2019
Health plans have been quick to embrace virtual care, but a new survey from America’s Health Insurance Plans reveals that most patients aren’t showing the same enthusiasm for the technology in a clinical setting, according to reporting by Tony Abraham in Healthcare Dive.
Commercial, managed Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans each reported difficulties with patient engagement.
According to AHIP, the majority of commercial (94 percent), MA (92 percent) and managed Medicaid (88 percent) plans are currently selling some form of virtual health benefit.
However, patients haven’t been quick to buy in. The majority of commercial (87 percent) and Medicaid managed care plans (91 percent) said patient engagement is a “key challenge” to full adoption.
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Most Americans aren’t entirely familiar with telehealth. As recently as 2018, only 20 percent reported receiving such care, according to Accenture. About 70 percent expressed interest in receiving it.
Every payer has reported “increased access, improved health outcomes, increased patient satisfaction and more coordinated care management” among beneficiaries who received virtual care, according to AHIP. Although those areas may be improving, the group said there is still progress to be made in getting patients engaged in and accustomed to virtual health services.
