Healthcare costs are increasing and severe chronic disease diagnoses are becoming more prevalent, burdening employers and employees. As a result of the pandemic, digital-first care is now a preferred healthcare option for many. With its convenience, easy access and low-cost, patients are turning to telemedicine and other virtual care.
Here are 29 need-to-know stats about the state of healthcare and virtual care in the U.S.
Healthcare Costs for Employers
- Employers are bracing for a 6% increase in healthcare spending over the next 3 years.
- More than half of employers are expecting their healthcare costs to exceed their budgets this year.
- According to a recent survey of employers, 95% of respondents will boost affordability by means of virtual medical and mental health care.
- 94% of employers said managing benefits costs is their top priority for 2023
- 55% of employers expect virtual care to lower healthcare costs in the next 3-5 years.
- 71% of employers are preparing for moderate to significant increases in healthcare costs in the next few years.
Virtual Care: Size, Penetration, Quality and Cost Savings
7. Patients reported high satisfaction with virtual care due to longer visits for higher quality of care and clarity and conciseness that resulted in resolution of medical concerns.
8. 94% of respondents to a JD Power survey that had used virtual care intended to use it again.
9. 67% of respondents to the same JD Power survey have accessed video telehealth services in 2022.
10. Patients prefer virtual care due to "convenience, speed of care, and ease experienced when accessing health information.”
11. In an American Medical Association survey, more than 80% of physicians indicated patients have better access to care since using telehealth.
12. In a recent study, “physicians indicated that telemedicine improved patient access to care by providing greater convenience...offered more time for patient counseling, opportunities for better medication reconciliations, and the ability to see and evaluate patient home environments and connect with patient families.”
13. Virtual care provides multiple touchpoints throughout a patient’s healthcare journey and allows doctors to engage in better quality measures with more interactions.
14. A study found that by using virtual care in place of in-person care, patients’ healthcare costs decreased 61%.
15. A study found that for 13 of 16 quality measures studied, patients using virtual care performed comparably or better than office-only patients.
Avoidable Visits & Costs
16. Emergency Room (ER) visits average 12x higher costs than doctor's office visits.
17. ER visits waste more than $32 billion in healthcare spending each year.
18. Avoidable ER visits cost at least $47 billion (about $140 per person in the US) a year, according to a recent report.
19. 30% of ER visits by those with a chronic condition are potentially avoidable.
20. Employees with chronic diseases cost employers $530 billion in absences or lost or reduced productivity.
Problems in Accessing Healthcare
21. About 60% of Americans either do not have or do not use a primary care physician (PCP).
22. 40% of Americans have delayed or skipped care due to cost.
23. Without routine healthcare consultations, the likelihood of costly care increases and 40% of Americans do not have $400 for emergency expenses to support themselves with an unexpected healthcare event.
24. Patients are waiting 26 days to see a PCP.
25. Patients wait almost 20 minutes to visit their doctor, even with an appointment.
26. Patients are waiting 5 to 6 weeks to see a mental health professional for support.
27. Due to the fee-for-service model of most doctors’ offices, a PCP has limited time with patients as they are encouraged to treat as many patients as possible in one day.
28. 25% of Americans live in a designated primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA).
29. The National Council for Behavioral Health revealed “77% of counties in the United States are experiencing a severe shortage of mental health providers” and it’s expected to worsen.
First Stop Health (FSH) Virtual Care Solutions
FSH Telemedicine, Virtual Primary Care and Virtual Mental Health solutions deliver patient-first care to members where and when they need it. We serve as a digital home to health so members can access the urgent, preventive, chronic and mental health care they need – helping them achieve better whole-person health.
FSH uses custom, year-long engagement to proactively communicate with members, which helps drive our industry-leading utilization. Each virtual visit with FSH helps members save time and money, and helps employers save on total healthcare costs.