Dive Brief:
- Telehealth marketer American Well and NewYork-Presbyterian are teaming up to bring virtual doctor visits to New York City.
- Using a smart phone or computer, patients will be able to connect with NYP’s expert physician network, which includes Weill Cornell Medicines’ Physician Organization, ColumbiaDoctors, and NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Groups.
- The new service is part of NYP’s OnDemand suite of digital health services.
Dive Insight:
NYP launched the digital suite in July with OnDemand Second Opinion. Other services include emergency or urgent care visits, provider-to-provider consultations, and virtual follow-up visits.
Demand for virtual health services is on the rise. The virtual healthcare market is expected to reach $3.5 billion in revenues by 2022, with a 49.8% compound annual growth rate over the next six years, according to a Verify Markets report from last March.
Insurers are increasingly looking to telehealth to ease provider shortages, expand access to care, and lower healthcare costs. Teladoc, the nation’s largest telemedicine provider, is working with 28 health plans, including Aetna and Blue Shield of California.
Retail clinics are also joining in. In September, Walgreens announced it was expanding its telehealth offerings with a new skin care platform that connects consumers with dermatologists specializing in a wide range of conditions.