According to an April 15 NEJM Catalyst report, Health insurers Harvard Pilgrim, Kaiser Permanente and Priority Health each propelled lower-cost, telehealth-first plans in 2020.
- Seattle-based Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in September revealed its new Virtual Plus plan for direct-to-consumers and employer groups. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care in Wellesley, Mass., coupled up with Doctor on Demand to launch its SimplyVirtual plan, which is convenient to large employers in Connecticut; and Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Priority Health’s MyPriority Telehealth PCP plan is available to members who want more online intercommunication with providers.
- Harvard Pilgrim has traded one group account out of 60 employer groups pitched. The health plan has filed the product in three states to make it open to groups of tens of thousands of members across New England. The company’s pricing for the SimplyVirtual plan is 8% below a traditional HMO product.
- Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States started its Virtual Forward plan with medium-to-large group employers and presumes about 1,000 members in this first year. The health plan proposes its Virtual Forward products at a rate of 15 % to 20 % below its common offerings.
- Priority Health registered 5,000 members in its MyPriority Telehealth PCP plan for 2021, more than 2,000 of whom transitioned from other Priority Health products. The company went to market with a premium for the telehealth-first plan that is 6 % to 8 % lower, on average, than its other plan contributions.