Wellview Health adds telemedicine benefit

There is a new player in the telemedicine game.

Nashville-based health and wellness company Wellview Health is adding a telemedicine benefit, called Wellview TeleMedicine, to its suite of services, the company said Wednesday. The concierge-style health benefits provider partnered with First Stop Health, a virtual healthcare service, to release the offering in January.

“Launching Wellview TeleMedicine is another step in our strategic growth plan and commitment to making healthcare a pleasure. We remain focused on our mission to simplify healthcare by inspiring people and impacting lives,” says James Story, CEO and co-founder of Wellview Health in a statement.

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Wellview TeleMedicine will provide round-the-clock access to doctors at no cost to eligible employees, the company says. The Georgia Bankers Association Insurance Trust, one of Wellview’s clients with more than 20,000 members in the U.S., is already offering the telemedicine benefit.

See also: Although widely deployed, employees slow to use telemedicine

More employers are moving to provide telemedicine, but it has historically been underutilized by workers. A survey from Mercer found that 71% of employers with at least 500 workers say their employees have access to the benefit, but Mercer says that only 7% of employers reported that their employees used the benefit at least once.

Speaking during the Benefits Forum & Expo last year, Lois Irwin, president of telemedicine company EZaccessMD, said employers should boost telemedicine education initiatives so employees will understand how to use the benefit.

“We’re seeing an increase in telemedicine use, but employers should educate their staff about this service so both parties get the most out of this benefit,” she said during a panel at the Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit Adviser sponsored event.

Wellview says they expect telemedicine will reduce employee trips to emergency rooms and urgent care clinics, while positively impacting costs and claims.

“Our commitment is to make healthcare simplified for consumers and to reduce healthcare costs for employers,” Story says.

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