STAT May 21, 2024
“Telehealth is collapsing.” “Telehealth is going through a contraction.” “There is a dark cloud hovering over virtual care.”
These are just a few of the doomsday views sparked by the news that Optum and Walmart are shutting down their virtual care businesses. Many industry observers, connecting the dots to the current struggles of legacy telehealth providers, have concluded that virtual care is in trouble.
As the leaders of Included Health, a company that provides virtual care to a good chunk of the Fortune 100 companies, we’ve been baffled and bemused — more than usual, that is — by the headlines and hot takes.
Virtual care isn’t in trouble. What is in trouble are the aftermarket telehealth solutions that largely function...