America's Benefit Specialist December 2022

NOTEWORTHY

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percent), quickly addressing a new acute or urgent medical problem (seven percent vs. five percent), getting a referral to a specialist (six percent vs. four percent), addressing urgent issues or flare-ups associated with chronic conditions (six percent vs. three percent) and managing chronic conditions (five percent vs. two percent). As digital communications dominate everyday interactions and business trans actions, there is an opportunity for provid ers to increase adoption of technology to address a gap with consumer use of digital communications in healthcare. Around two in five (41%) Americans who have a primary healthcare provider wish digital forms of communication, such as text messages or emails, were used more. Despite mixed familiarity surrounding virtual primary care, Americans appear eager to embark on this new path in health care. More than half who have a primary care physician (52%) say they would use virtual primary care in addition to the care they receive from their current primary healthcare provider within the next year, while most are likely to do so within the next two to five years (59%) and beyond the next five years (62%). Most Americans who have used virtual primary care (84%) say it has been very useful during the pandemic and plan to continue using it as pandemic con ditions improve. Many people are interest ed in using virtual primary care for services such as prescription refills (76%), referrals to specialists (72%), and address ing both non-urgent (67%) and/or urgent issues (58%). Overall, Americans believe the healthcare system is changing for the better with the inclusion of virtual primary care (71%). Similarly, a majority of Americans (83%) believe it is a great way to increase access to healthcare for people who may otherwise be unable to visit a provider in person.

surance, so they feel it may cost more (21%). Fortunately, some health plans include virtual primary care as a plan benefit. Virtual primary care can help address many conditions and help individuals manage their chronic conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma. Virtual primary care also provides people access to urgent care services for minor health issues, including allergies, cold, skin rashes and more. While a majority of Americans (82%) feel their health is excellent or good, more than three in five Americans (63%), are currently living with or managing a chronic health condition. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of those living with a chronic condition believe vir tual primary care may help them take charge of their health. Americans see the benefits of virtual primary care, no matter if they are living with or managing a chronic health con dition. Many feel it can be a great way to increase access to healthcare for people who may otherwise be unable to visit a provider in-person (83%). However, the motiva tions to use it may differ, with those living with/managing chronic conditions being intrigued by the array of services easily available to them. Those without a chronic health condition who have a primary care physician are more likely than their coun terparts to wish their primary healthcare provider used more digital forms of com munication (47% vs. 39%) Americans with a chronic health con dition are more likely than those without a chronic health condition to be familiar with virtual primary care (52% vs. 42%). This group is also more likely to have ever used virtual primary care (36% vs. 25%), specifically for each of the follow ing (chronic health condition vs. without chronic condition): prescriptions (19% vs. 12%), general wellness/treatment plans (10% vs. seven percent), addressing a non-urgent medical problem (eight percent vs. five

To learn more about the virtual primary care study, visit www.elevancehealth.com/ research/physical-health/what-consum ers-want-from-virtual-primary-care-findings. FAMILY PREMIUMS FOR EMPLOYER COVERAGE AVERAGE $22,463 THIS YEAR, WITH WORKERS CONTRIBUTING AN AVERAGE OF $6,106 Annual family premiums for employ er-sponsored health insurance average $22,463 this year, similar to last year ($22,221), the 2022 benchmark KFF Em ployer Health Benefits Survey finds. On average, workers this year are contributing $6,106 toward the cost of family premium, with employers paying the rest. Among workers who face an annual deductible for single coverage, the average this year stands at $1,763, similar to last year ($1,669) but up 61% since 2012 ($1,097). “Employers are already concerned about what they pay for health premiums, but this could be the calm before the storm, as recent inflation suggests that larger increases are imminent,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said. “Given the tight labor market and rising wages, it will be tough for employers to shift costs onto workers when costs spike.” The report reveals ongoing disparities in the burden of healthcare costs on workers at smaller and large employers. Workers at firms with less than 200 workers on average pay $7,556 out of their paychecks annually for family coverage—nearly $2,000 more than workers at larger firms ($5,580). For single coverage, workers at small and large firms contribute similar amounts toward their coverage, though small-firm workers face much larger deductibles on average ($2,543 vs. $1,493). Viewed another way, nearly half (49%) of workers at small firms face an average deductible of at least $2,000, while just a quarter (25%) of workers at large firms do.

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