Virtual care giant Teladoc Health announced Wednesday that its primary care offering, Primary360, is now available for health plans, employers and other payers. 

Primary360 allows members to choose a primary care provider and work with a care team, which can also help them find in-person providers if necessary. Members can make personalized healthcare plans and schedule phone or video telehealth appointments.

“Primary360 has the unique power to drive the unified healthcare experience that consumers are demanding by removing longstanding barriers like access, cost and convenience,” Donna Boyer, chief product officer at Teladoc Health, said in a statement.

“Primary360 gives people greater control over their healthcare experience without losing the personal connection they seek – all from a brand that they trust.”

WHY IT MATTERS

Teladoc is pitching its Primary360 offering as a way to expand access to primary care in the U.S.

Though primary care improves health outcomes, fewer people today have an established relationship with a primary care doctor. The proportion of adult Americans with an identified source of primary care fell from 77% in 2002 to 75% in 2015, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The declines were especially stark for younger people: 71% of Americans in their 30s had a primary care provider in 2002, compared with only 64% in 2015.

THE LARGER TREND

Virtual care and telehealth are in the midst of a major shakeup in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a FAIR Health report from last year, the telehealth share of medical claim lines increased 3,552% from August 2019 to August 2020. Though telehealth use has generally been falling this year, some providers and stakeholders think a hybrid approach is the way of the future.

A new survey from telehealth vendor Amwell and HIMSS Analytics found more than half of hospital and health system leaders say they are planning to increase their investment in telehealth over the next two years.

Teladoc first piloted the Primary360 product in 2019, said CEO Jason Gorevic said during a J.P. Morgan virtual presentation in January. It began the pilot program with large domestic and international health plans at the beginning of the year. 

In May, Teladoc announced the expansion of its behavioral health services through its myStrength Complete program.

Other players in the virtual care and telehealth space include eVisit, TytoCare and Zoom.