In 2019, more than 25 million Americans lacked health insurance coverage. The majority of uninsured people cannot afford health insurance and cannot obtain coverage through an employer. Without health insurance, medical care is often unaffordable. People who must undergo treatment due to a severe condition or emergency can end up with significantly high medical bills and risk facing debt or bankruptcy.
Most health care providers use the fee-for-service payment model. In this arrangement, patients and insurers pay separately for every visit or procedure. This model comes under criticism because it incentivizes health care providers to focus on patient volume rather than the outcome. Fee-for-service is also expensive for insurers, who pass this cost down to policyholders.
In response to the gaps left by health insurance and the fee-for-service model, new payment strategies have emerged in recent years. Advances in videoconferencing technologies have improved the quality and access of telemedicine, which connects patients to doctors and specialists through a secure, HIPAA-compliant web-based platform. Patients can use these portals to set appointments, refill prescriptions, and consult with their primary care physicians. Some telemedicine platforms specialize in areas such as dermatology, mental health, and urgent care.
Telemedicine often is used by brick-and-mortar health clinics to reach remote clients or track patients with chronic illnesses. Patients typically pay for these services through their insurance or government-provided coverage such as Medicaid or Medicare. However, telemedicine companies have started to roll out subscription models as a stream of revenue.
In the subscription model, patients pay a flat monthly or annual fee to access the telemedicine service. Most platforms offer a messaging or video call service that connects members directly to a board-certified physician. Other platforms provide more comprehensive services, including diagnoses and prescriptions.
Subscribers frequently receive medical attention in hours or minutes. For minor and common ailments, some services use sophisticated chatbots to identify symptoms and provide treatment options. These services also may be combined with other Internet-enhanced health technologies, such as wearable devices that measure heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature.
Telemedicine providers also may ask patients to perform at-home diagnostic tests. After medical providers or a third party analyzes the samples, the telemedicine physician makes a treatment plan or refers the patient to a specialist.
The subscription model has several advantages over the fee-for-service model. First, the price is affordable for many uninsured patients. Second, telemedicine services may be available around the clock, unlike health systems that follow regular business hours. Third, since subscription services charge a flat fee to access medical care, health care providers do not charge per procedure, meaning there is more incentive for them to provide preventive care.
However, there are limits to telehealth subscription services. Patients experiencing a medical emergency still require in-person care. Likewise, health experts advise using telemedicine as a supplement, not a replacement, for in-person checkups. Further, while many telemedicine providers target underserved groups, such as people who do not speak English as a first language, these people are less likely to use telemedicine services.
Other factors, such as unequal access to broadband Internet and cultural distrust of health technology, have created barriers to telemedicine. To increase membership among those demographics, marketing strategies must consider the beliefs and values of each population segment.
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