A virtual care program is only as good as its utilization. As large employers add virtual healthcare options to their healthcare benefits, they want to encourage maximum use to reduce healthcare costs while improving employee health. Strategies to encourage employees to use telehealth services must focus on meeting needs, like offering family care and preventing or managing chronic care conditions. It is also important to make telehealth accessible during the workday and to offer different digital options that suit a multigenerational workforce. Improving employee health with virtual care by leveraging strategies like these creates a win-win for employers and employees alike.
Supporting Holistic Health Care By Adding Virtual Health Support Options
When telehealth first appeared, it mainly involved virtual doctor appointments for minor issues like the flu or a cold. A lot has changed in a few short years. Personalized virtual care programs can now include nutrition plans, fitness routines, stress management techniques, disease prevention, and chronic pain management. Most virtual care programs today enable access to self-care resources via a mobile app.
Amazon has a holistic health benefits program, and to no one’s surprise, technology plays an important role. In addition to comprehensive benefits covering in-person medical, dental, and vision coverages, Amazon offers virtual health. Employees and their families can access a virtual Medical Advice Line for free 24/7 to talk to a nurse about health issues. They can also access mental health care 24/7 through the app Twill, which offers a digital, self-guided mental health program that also provides mood tracking, science-backed games, and activities for employees and family members. Additionally, Amazon employees can access a virtual pain prevention and management mobile app-based resource called Hinge. The program includes treatments and exercises. Most large companies offer their employees virtual healthcare and wellness opportunities as a means to expand coverage while reducing costs. Walmart, for example, has said it reduced the total cost of employee care by 11% by launching a virtual primary care program. The expansive virtual care program offers telehealth for routine care and specialist consults, virtual urgent care and therapy, mental health benefits, and chronic care prevention and management.
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