Did you know the average cost of employee health insurance premiums for single coverage was $8,435 in 2023? To make matters worse, preliminary hearings are anticipating a potential increase near 30% for HDHP in 2025. One way employers are combating these costs is by integrating in-home urgent care with telemedicine. Telehealth doctors send a medical technologist to the employee's home or office if further testing is needed for a diagnosis. Here's how employers have reaped the rewards in 2024:
In the healthcare industry, sustainability is unfortunately hard to come by for most providers. Last week, Walmart Health announced they are closing all 51 Health Centers and shutting down its telehealth service, five years after jumping into the industry and just weeks after saying it was expanding into new markets.
In honor of National Women's History Month coming to a close and National Employee Benefits Day just beginning, it's an opportune moment to reflect on the journey of EZaccessMD and celebrate the leadership of our President and Co-Founder, Lois Irwin, alongside her husband, Will Irwin. Here's a look at how it all started:
Benefits Revolution: The Next Generation in Employer-Sponsored Healthcare recently became a "#1 Amazon Best Selling Publication.” I feel deeply honored to pen a chapter in this book, alongside a select group of thought leaders in the healthcare industry. For advisors and employers aspiring to not only challenge the status quo but also enhance their appeal in the marketplace, this is a must-read.
Remember the good ole' days of driving to the bank on Friday evening to deposit your paycheck after a long week? What about going to an actual brick & mortar store to pick up the newly released album by Prince? Or even just meeting up with an old friend to connect and have an actual in-person conversation? Well I think we all know by now that those days are long gone and have been replaced by digital advancements like direct deposit, streaming, and Facetime. So what is the motor behind these advancements in today's society? Convenience.
Navigating the maze of health insurance options can be overwhelming. But when illness strikes, the uncertainty deepens. We find ourselves grappling with questions like where to turn for care—should we visit a primary care provider, rush to urgent care, or head straight to the emergency room? In these moments, fear and confusion can cloud our judgment, especially when our symptoms are intense and we fear a medical crisis. Yet, making the right decision is paramount, as it can truly be a matter of life or death.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality selected the University of Rochester Medicine Center (URMC) for a grant to study high-intensity telemedicine’s impact on the local elderly population in 2009. Reflecting the group’s mission to make acute healthcare more accessible and affordable, it proved to be a tipping point in my career. In short, this cohort study’s results became the guiding principle for EZaccessMD’s launch.
Featuring President + Co-Founder, Lois Irwin I first learned about the power of mobile medical services as an undergraduate student at Cornell University volunteering at a hospital in Liberia. Citizens of this very poor West African country suffered from severe malnutrition and an infant mortality rate of over 50%. Most people lived with a low-grade infection of malaria since medications to prevent this disease were unaffordable.
Rochester, N.Y. - For non-profit organizations such as the Urban League of Rochester, providing the underserved access to resources for success is the ultimate mission. However, their continuous efforts don't stop with their members; they take care of their own employees too.