SECTION14. EMPLOYERPRACTICESANDHEALTHPLANNETWORKS ALTERNATIVECARESETTINGS:TELEMEDICINEANDRETAILCLINICS Firmsandhealthplansareincorporatingnewsitesandmethodsofcareinordertoimproveconvenienceandpotentially reducecosts. • Fifty-three percent of firms with 50 or more workers whoofferhealthbenefitscovertheprovisionofsomehealthcare services throughtelemedicineintheirlargesthealthplan[Figure14.8]. Telemedicineisthedeliveryofhealthcare services throughtelecommunicationstoapatientfromaproviderwhoisataremotelocation,includingvideochat andremotemonitoring. Thiswouldnotincludethemereexchangeofinformationviaemail,exclusivelyweb-based resources, or online information a plan may makeavailableunlessahealthprofessionalprovidesinformationspecificto theenrollee’scondition. Largerfirmsaremorelikelytocoverservicesprovidedthroughtelemedicinethansmallerfirms [Figure 14.8]. – Amongfirmswith50ormoreworkerswhoseplanscoverhealthservicesthroughtelemedicine,26%providea financialincentiveforworkerstousetelemedicineinsteadofvisitingatraditionalphysician’sofficein-person [Figure 14.9]. – Thepercentageoflargefirmsreportingthattheycoverservicesthroughtelemedicinerosesignificantlyinthe last year, from 39% last year to 63% this year [Figure 14.10]. We note that we made a small change to the survey question,whichcouldaccountforsomeofthatchange. Thisisasignificantincreaseinoneyear,andwewill examinethisnextyeartoseeifthehigherprevalencepersists. • Seventy-fivepercentoffirmsthatofferhealthbenefitscovercarereceivedinretailclinics,suchasthoselocatedin pharmacies,supermarketsandretailstores,intheirlargesthealthplan[Figure14.11]. Theseclinicsareoftenstaffedby nursepractitionersorphysicianassistantsandtreatminorillnessesandprovidepreventiveservices. – Thepercentageoffirmscoveringcarereceivedinretailclinicsintheirlargesthealthplanincreasedinthelastyear [Figure 14.12]. – Fifteenpercentoffirmsthatcovercareatretailclinicsprovideafinancialincentiveforworkerstovisitaretailclinic insteadofatraditionalphysician’soffice[Figure14.11]. • Seventy-threepercentoffirmsthatofferhealthbenefitsincludeanursehotlineintheirlargesthealthplan. Thisisa significantincreasefrom55%in2013[Figure14.13]. The Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust / Page 215