Anthem will make virtual primary care available to eligible members of its commercial health plans in 11 states, the insurer announced Tuesday.
The expansion will roll out the offering to fully insured plans and select large group administrative services clients in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin, the company said. Eligible members can access a virtual care team that will conduct an initial health check-in and then craft a personalized care plan.
The insurer is expecting a significant number of its administrative services clients to adopt the platform over the course of this year.
The care team will offer the member services aimed at improving their health and wellbeing at little or no cost, Anthem said. The virtual primary care options will be available through Anthem's Sydney Health app.
"This virtual primary care offering is part of our ongoing efforts to redefine the future of healthcare—giving members more ways to connect with their doctors; integrating digital, virtual and in-person care," said Beth Keyser, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana, in a statement.
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"Consumers are adopting digital technologies at an accelerating pace," Keyser added. "To meet this demand, we continually introduce innovative services that make healthcare more convenient, fit into members' increasingly busy schedules and align with the more consumer-centric experiences they have in other areas of their lives."
Through Sydney, members can connect with providers 24/7 via a secure text chat for urgent care needs as well as to schedule appointments and followups. The initial check-in visit will be conducted via video, and members can also access other services including prescription refills, referrals and preventative screenings.
Artificial intelligence-backed modeling and data analytics will be key to building out the member's personalized care plan, Anthem said. Data from the patient's initial check-in will be provided to the virtual primary care physician.
Anthem said the virtual primary care platform can be used to manage chronic conditions, address urgent care needs and make it easier to access tests and other routine services. These virtual options are designed to complement and supplement in-person primary care.
Anthem is the latest insurer to expand or launch such a platform. Virtual primary care and virtual-first health plans have been a trend in the industry following an explosion in telehealth and virtual care use under the COVID-19 pandemic.