By redirecting their employees to a less expensive strategy, they drastically minimize their healthcare expenditures (self-insured) or insurance utilization (fully insured).  The payoff is twofold.  Employees using telemedicine are delighted to do so for non-emergency healthcare interruptions.  The cost of the call and consultation are free and the convenience is outstanding.  In multiple studies gauging patient satisfaction, Telemedicine scores consistently hover in the 98 percentile*.

Telemedicine provides a unique way for employers to offer quality healthcare outside the traditional health delivery options. It is a 24/7/365 system to address the needs of the entire family.  This not only avoids costly physician or emergency room visits, but keeps employee absenteeism down and productivity up. The flexibility of different providers allows for easy integration into your company’s existing medical coverage, or the option of inclusion as a voluntary benefit. Part-time employees, contract workers, seasonal staff, or mobile workforces can also have easy access to healthcare which drives loyalty without offering a full benefit menu to such employees.   Of particular interest to employers is Branded Telemedicine.  This strategy has been very successful to drive employee engagement.

*Gustke, S.S., Balch, D.C., West, V.L., and Rogers, L.O. 2000. Patient satisfaction with telemedicine. Telemedicine Journal Spring 6(1): 5-13.