UnitedHealthcare, Cigna Join 'Virtual-First' Health Plan Fray

by Peter Johnson

 

UnitedHealthcare and Centene Corp. have added "virtual first" plan designs to their employer-sponsored offerings, becoming the latest commercial insurance giants to offer benefit designs built around virtual primary and urgent care.

Three major insurers launched "virtual-first" plans:

• UnitedHealthcare said on Oct. 18 that it will offer employers in nine markets — Little Rock, Ark.; Fort Myers, Fla.; Pittsburgh; Springfield, Mass.; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.; Richmond, Va.; Indianapolis; Dallas; and Houston — the virtual-first plan it dubs "NavigateNOW."
• In a press release, UnitedHealth said members will enjoy "unlimited 24/7 access to care" and $0 copays for "virtual and in-person primary care and behavioral health visits, virtual urgent care and most generic medications, with unlimited chat, online scheduling and on-demand, same-day appointments." The press release also claimed that the offering will "reduc[e] plan premiums by approximately 15%."
• Centene Corp. on Oct. 19 said it will partner with Teladoc Health, Inc. "to launch a virtual access health plan in 2022 for Michigan, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas residents," per a press release. Teladoc spokesperson Carolyn Edwards tells AIS Health via email that the plan will have "virtual primary care providers" along with "specialists, mental health providers and a care team to assist with navigating the platform."
• In August, CVS Health Corp.'s Aetna launched a similar "virtual-first" plan, also in partnership with Teladoc, and said it will be available to employers nationwide.

What industry experts say:

• "I don't think it's going to be the big thing — but I do think it's a plan design, essentially," says Steve Blumenfield, head of strategy and innovation for health benefits at Willis Towers Watson. "Not everyone has it yet, and I'm not sure everyone wants to take advantage."
• Dan Mendelson, CEO of JPMorgan Chase Co.'s Morgan Health, is skeptical of UnitedHealth's claims about premiums.
• "We'll see," Mendelson says. "I think these models have to prove themselves out with validated data. One of the questions employers will ask is, 'Is that an apples-to-apples comparison?' You have to get into the details in order to know how meaningful the savings are, and why the savings are occurring."
• Mendelson says that principle applies to the larger conversation about virtual-first plan design. He doubts that large-scale savings will come about simply because members start seeing virtual primary care practitioners in lieu of in-person visits.

From Health Plan Weekly