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By JOSEPH C. FILICE, MBA
Business owners continuously struggle to keep up with the costs of healthcare in today's market. Once again healthcare costs are expected to rise in 2020 making this struggle for business owners and employees even more of a battle. With this continuous struggle, employers have looked to technology for assistance and they have found the answer in telehealth. Telehealth has shown to offer affordable easy access care to employees and their families while also saving money for both the employer and the employees.
Telehealth is the hottest trend in the healthcare industry and is expected to continue through 2020. Telehealth allows an employee access to a U.S. board certified physician 24/7 and covers an average of 70 percent of all doctor visits including cold & flu symptoms, allergies, sinus problems, sore throats, pink eye, respiratory infections, skin problems, UTI, ear infection, bronchitis, asthma, joint aches, fever, nausea, vomiting and much more. For an employee or their dependent to seek care, they simply go online, on the app or call for an appointment. Within minutes a U.S. board certified doctor contacts them by phone and/or secure video to assist with their non-emergency medical situations. After the consultation, the doctor then can call in a prescription to the local pharmacy of choice. The entire process of seeing a doctor for non-emergency situations and being prescribed the necessary and appropriate prescriptions has been reduced to approximately 20 minutes and you didn't have to leave your home, job or school and you did not have to sit in a crowded doctor's office waiting room across town and take hours out of your day.
Not only has Telehealth made healthcare more accessible, it has made healthcare more accessible while saving valuable funds for both the employer and the employees. Traditional major medical plans are hundreds of dollars in monthly premium alone not including possible deductibles and co-pays. Telehealth is a fraction of the cost and comes in at approximately $20 a month for the entire family. This allows the employee and their dependents to seek care for their non-emergency situations if they do not have major medical insurance, but it also allows them to save money off their medical plans, avoiding deductibles and co-pays that might apply to their medical plan if they do have major medical insurance
The value of offering Telehealth does not stop at the employees and their dependents, but also helps the employer. If the employer cannot afford to offer major medical insurance but does want to be able to offer something to their employees, telehealth has been the overwhelmingly popular answer. For those groups over 50 or already offering major medical insurance, telehealth helps your group's claims experience by directing the non-emergency medical situations in the appropriate direction versus unnecessary and costly urgent care or ER visits. The ease of access also allows employees to seek care more easily and often leading to less time off, and an overall healthier and more productive workforce.
Telehealth is one of the hottest trends in the healthcare industry and is forecast to continue to grow in 2020. Telehealth provides employees and their dependents easy 24/7 affordable access to non-emergency medical needs at a fraction of the traditional price of healthcare. Telemedicine saves both the employer and employees valuable money while supporting a healthier and more productive workforce. Contact your employee benefits broker today to learn more about offering telehealth to your employees.
Joseph C. Filice, MBA, is the owner of Avalon Insurance Services, LLC, located in Avalon Park Florida. Filice has been in the insurance industry for more than 13 years and is a proud member of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU). Visit www.avaloninsuranceservices.com
Contact him at jfilice@avaloninsuranceservices.com
