Modern Healthcare March 7, 2017
Telehealth, which is frequently touted as an effective strategy to decrease healthcare spending, may actually be driving up costs, according to a new study by the RAND Corp.
The report, published Monday in the journal Health Affairs, found that although telehealth appointments are cheaper than in-person and emergency room visits, the online and virtual resources encourage vast new utilization, ultimately driving up healthcare spending.
The findings are a surprise wake-up call as employers increasingly look to offer telehealth services to their workers. About 90% of large employers said they would offer telehealth services as part of their employee health plans in 2017, according to a 2016 survey from the National Business Group on Health.
The study’s researchers used 2011-13 claims...
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