Doctor On Demand is expanding its virtual care platform

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US telemedicine provider Doctor On Demand updated its virtual care platform to help payers address gaps in primary care access and ultimately lower member healthcare costs, according to a company press release shared with Business Insider Intelligence.

The platform, called Synapse, includes new offerings that Doctor On Demand's health insurer and employer clients can integrate into their health insurance coverage to lower costs:

• A new feature that guides members to in-network services should help payers reduce member dissatisfaction from unanticipated costs. Keeping consumers in-network should be an important value-add for Doctor on Demand's payer customers: Nearly 20% of inpatient admissions among people with large employer-sponsored insurance include a claim from an out-of-network provider. Moreover, out-of-network claims can lead to surprise medical bills for consumers, which might drag on member satisfaction: Of the 57% of US adults that have received a medical bill they thought was covered by insurance, 86% of respondents say insurers are "very" or "somewhat" responsible.
• And new virtual preventative health and chronic disease management services should help payers reduce costs associated with poor access to care. By adding these services, Doctor On Demand essentially widens its addressable audience and increases the likelihood consumers will opt for virtual over traditional care for a given condition. Further, making it easier for consumers to access primary care could help mitigate costs associated with a lack of preventative care: The US healthcare industry could save $67 billion annually if every US consumer accessed primary care services, Doctor On Demand CEO Hill Ferguson shared with Business Insider Intelligence.

Shifts in consumer preferences and the structure of employer benefits indicate Doctor On Demand's emphasis on virtual primary care should pay off. Recent data shows younger generations are more likely to be dissatisfied with traditional healthcare, are less likely to have a primary care physician, and are more likely to favor digital care services.

Moreover, more employers are investing in telemedicine: 74% of US firms with 200 or more employees offered telemedicine as a health plan benefit in 2018, up from 27% in 2015. These signs suggest Doctor On Demand should see increased demand from consumers and payer clients following its renewed emphasis on virtual primary care.

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