In 3 years, telehealth saved Spectrum Health $4M

Since Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Spectrum Health launched a telehealth program in 2014, it has delivered almost 50,000 virtual visits that avoided more than 11,000 trips to the emergency room and saved insurers nearly $4.1 million, according to Digital Commerce 360.

Advertisement

Spectrum operates its own consumer telehealth program it developed about three years ago called MedNow. So far in 2018 — the program’s fourth year — MedNow has conducted 88 percent of the total 29,989 telehealth episodes it must perform for the full year, saving health insurers nearly $1.5 million and patients 476,279 miles in unnecessary driving.

According to a review of claims submitted to the system’s healthcare plan, Priority Health, a typical telehealth visit costs $42, compared with a $917 ER trip, a $150 urgent care visit and a $111 office appointment.

“The impact of telehealth is improved access to care and decreasing cost of care,” Spectrum Senior Director Joe Brennan told Digital Commerce 360.

More articles on telehealth:
Emory Healthcare teams up with Australian hospital on remote ICU
Alabama hospital uses telehealth to minimize travel times for kidney transplant patients
Report: One-third of patients who used a hospital’s telehealth platform received in-person care at the facility within 1 year

At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.

Register to Attend Webinar

Designing the intelligent hospital: Building hospitals around people, data and care

Tuesday, July 21
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT

Presenters: Braheem Santos, Schneider ElectricJohn Donohue, Penn Medicine

Advertisement

Next Up in Telehealth

Advertisement

Comments are closed.