Virtual Care Expanding From Pandemic Necessity to Delivery System Innovation

A growing number of regional and national payers are putting telehealth at the center of their care delivery, benefit, and plan designs. With these developments, the virtual visits mothered from pandemic necessity could transform to permanent innovations built on the telehealth foundations that already existed. Implemented well, virtual health could solve multiple problems while paving the way for future virtual therapies that are smartly reimbursed from the start.

Under the care design category, CareFirst has introduced CloseKnit, a "virtual primary care" [model that] … will offer a wide variety of care services, including preventive and urgent care, behavioral and mental health, care coordination, insurance navigation and more." CareFirst will offer CloseKnit to its Maryland commercial enrollees to test this new model. The plan also offers plans in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Larger payers are also taking a pilot approach, while embedding telehealth even more deeply in benefit and plan design.

Under the care design category, CareFirst has introduced CloseKnit, a "virtual primary care" [model that] … will offer a wide variety of care services, including preventive and urgent care, behavioral and mental health, care coordination, insurance navigation and more.