Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • November 30, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 17 language barriers don't restrict ac- cess to digital health. "We have a lot more to go," Marino said. "But we definitely have strate- gies and plans under way." Payer caution The enthusiasm for virtual health doesn't necessarily extend to payers, who have expressed concern that the technology will balloon the costs of health care as "dialing a doctor" becomes nearly as easy as checking your Insta- gram feed. Claims to insurers for virtual-health visits have jumped 4,347% since last year, according to America's Health Insurance Plans, a national association of insurers. Insurers agreed to relax virtual- health rules on an emergency basis and have balked at extending "pay parity" for virtual visits, which were historically provided at a lower rate than in-person visits. The Connecticut Association of Health Plans has asked that the state undergo the usual negotiating process around reimbursement for virtual health once the pandemic crisis has passed. Some insurers have already start- ed changing their coverage around virtual health: UnitedHealth and Anthem were set to impose out-of- pocket charges on certain virtual visits starting in October. Lower rates could lead to eventual cut- backs in virtual-health offerings as hospitals struggle to deal with pandemic-related financial losses. Stein of Hartford HealthCare said he expects insurers to adapt to the new landscape for virtual health, prompted by their customers. "Their business models have to change, their infrastructure has to change," Stein said. "But thankfully, the most powerful advocates for this are our patients." First virtual plan One local insurer, Harvard Pil- grim Health Care, has embraced virtual health, announcing on Nov. 10 the launch of the state's first "virtual primary care plan." The new plan, called SimplyVirtu- al, gives members access to virtual visits with primary care provid- ers through Doctor On Demand, a growing platform co-founded by TV's Dr. Phil. Larger employers with more than 51 subscribers have access to the new plan. Harvard Pilgrim saw member use of virtual health services jump by 6,148% in Connecticut alone this year, and the company said patients were still interested in the technol- ogy despite a partial resumption of in-person services. "The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the need for insurers to provide members with innovative, convenient and high- quality options when it comes to their medical and behavioral health needs," said Paul Bartosic, Harvard Pilgrim's Connecticut market vice president. Looking ahead Even as reimbursement issues are sorted out, providers have big plans for the deployment of virtual health technology going forward. At Trinity Health, Hussain envi- sions a time when a patient can see multiple doctors during a single vir- tual visit, allowing for consultation and collaboration to improve care. A patient with family members in three distant states can bring them all together in a meeting with doctors to figure out the best care options. At Hartford HealthCare, Stein looks forward to an expanded range of biometric devices that can be used to give a patient near-hospital- quality monitoring at home. Hartford HealthCare's medical staff is already benefiting from the expansion of virtual health, Marino said. Trainee nurses in the inten- sive care unit at Charlotte Hun- gerford Hospital in Torrington are being supervised virtually by more experienced ICU nurses who coach and mentor them. "This is not going away, this is not one of those fads that goes away," Stein said. "We are anticipating this connectivity to really be with us for a very long time and get better and better and better." Robert Trivella Senior Vice President Senior Commercial Loan Officer Expert guidance from experienced business minds. "Putnam Bank… a division of Centreville Bank." Those words do more than describe a relationship between two financial institutions. They support the goals you envision for your business. Our commercial lenders have decades of experience helping businesses small and large with the financing and guidance they need to pursue their dreams. Talk to us about yours, and see how we can help them become reality. putnambank.com/commercialbanking | Rob Trivella at 860.753.8520 That's part of what it means to be a division of Centreville Bank. EQUAL HOUSING LENDER | NMLS#402947 | MEMBER FDIC Centreville-38036 PB_commercial_HBJ_925x3125_Robert Trivella_f.indd 1 Centreville-38036 PB_commercial_HBJ_925x3125_Robert Trivella_f.indd 1 11/17/20 10:57 AM 11/17/20 10:57 AM Newington Westport Waterford Fox Memorial Clinic CThumane.org Accepting gifts of cash, shares of stock and from donor-advised funds Bring joy to their world and yours. Your gift to pets will be matched for a limited time. Volume of insurance claims from telehealth visits in Northeast states 0.08% 6.53% Aug. 2019 Aug. 2020 Source: Fair Health Percent of overall medical claims from telehealth

• Cover