Written by Kelly Bliss, President, U.S. Health Group, Teladoc Health
Employers have an incentive to help their employees live healthier lives: healthy employees are more productive, and have lower healthcare costs, according to the CDC. In recent years we’ve seen longstanding challenges for employers continue to intensify. For example, in the U.S., more than half of adults have at least one major chronic disease, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity or hypertension. In addition, the costs for caring for chronic conditions continue to increase, and now account for 90 percent of all healthcare spending, according to the CDC.
With so many employees living with chronic disease, employers today are increasingly focused on behavior change. While many people may receive pamphlets on their chronic disease from their doctor or an office health fair, research shows behavior change is complex, and not likely to be successful with a one-time exposure. People need continuous support, something digital platforms are uniquely positioned to deliver. It’s one reason why we’ve seen such momentum in our chronic condition management programs, which at Teladoc Health help more than a million enrollees manage conditions like diabetes, pre-diabetes, hypertension and more.
The challenges facing employers are significant—from the rising cost of chronic disease to the acceleration of hybrid and remote models, and an increasingly virtual and connected work environment. The best leaders embrace these challenges, using them as an opportunity to adapt their benefits strategy and design. Here are three of the top ways we’re seeing our employer clients succeed:
Top employers are finding new ways to encourage healthy habits where employees live and work, including where they spend most of their time – the computer. With over 320 million users around the world and collaboration with more than one million organizations, Microsoft Teams has incredible opportunity to influence employee wellness at scale. We are proud to partner with Microsoft on a new integration that brings the ability for Teladoc Health members to manage their chronic condition through their Microsoft Teams account.
By allowing employees to opt-in to the Teams integration, employers can better support those who want the daily encouragement and support on their health journey. This support could look like sending a message to our interactive chat bot on Teams, where users can set reminders for their care, learn about their benefits, or ask health information. Individuals can also track food or health data, such as weight and blood pressure, to quickly uncover trends that could aid in managing their chronic conditions. To keep employees empowered in their care, these insights can then be viewed in an integrated dashboard tab, keeping individuals on track during their workday.
Just as important as the solutions themselves, is how they are connected into the broader ecosystem. Our partnerships with Hinge Health, Sword Health and most recently Brightline help streamline access for members through their Teladoc Health account. Not only is this important from a user experience perspective, but this kind of seamless integration of multiple tools can help accelerate positive health outcomes. For example, in our diabetes program, our data shows when mental health and chronic care are combined, not only do we see improved glucose levels, but we also see an additional >10% average weight loss and >30% additional reduction in systolic blood pressure. Being able to access these tools though one platform is not only more convenient – it’s a way to drive better health outcomes.
After identifying diabetes as a key cost driver for pharmacy and benefits claims, Reynolds Consumer Products approached Teladoc Health to address challenges, drive savings and boost health outcomes. Reynolds successfully achieved a 76% increase in the share of members with controlled diabetes, by addressing two major barriers facing employees. First, bringing on Teladoc’s virtually enabled solution opened additional access for employees, who previously were required to be in a brick-and-mortar setting. The program also offered hyper-personalized support for members, based on their unique preferences and needs—supporting sustained engagement. Second, Reynolds elected to cover all pharmacy costs for diabetes medications for employees who meet their participation goal. Removing these financial barriers helped to alleviate financial stress and ensure members have the resources they need to achieve healthier outcomes.
“With a 3.5x ROI, Teladoc Health’s Diabetes Management program is an invaluable addition to our benefits offerings,” said Anita Tucker, Senior Health and Welfare Benefits Manager, Reynolds Consumer Products. “But the true return on investment is our employees’ improved physical, mental and financial wellbeing.”
As employers continue to navigate a challenging benefits landscape, focusing on ways to remove barriers for employees—whether that’s adding a virtual solution or prioritizing a seamless “front-door” experience to address point-solution fatigue; employers are providing real value for their employees. Additionally, it’s important to make sure that these tools work for the people you serve, even as work models continue to evolve. The battle against chronic conditions won’t be won in a day, but it can be won in daily habits. Integrating more touchpoints to promote health, when and where employees live and work is an important step in that pursuit.
** This content was originally published on Forbes
