Employer health centers are reinventing themselves, seeking permanent expansion of virtual care added during pandemic
More than half of employers kept centers open, while nearly 80% added or increased the use of virtual care, Willis Towers Watson survey finds
ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) The vast majority of employers with onsite or near-site health centers either added or increased virtual care services in place of in-person visits during the pandemic, according to a survey by Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW), a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company. Additionally, over half of centers that expanded their virtual care services plan to make those changes permanent.
Almost 80% of employers have added or expanded virtual care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to
The report also found a majority of employers have kept their onsite or near-site health centers open to in-person care throughout the coronavirus outbreak. Half of the respondents that planned on expanding a center or adding a new one delayed or canceled plans due to the pandemic, while 10% accelerated expansion plans.
Among employers that closed health centers, more than a quarter have reopened at least one facility, nearly 20% have closed them temporarily, and 2% have closed them permanently. With employees’ health care needs shifting amid the pandemic, health centers are looking for ways to reinvent themselves, Kara Speer, national practice leader of employer-sponsored health centers at WTW, said in a statement. Most centers no longer view themselves as a facility to provide merely in-person primary and acute care and now offer additional services, including