How MD Live Virtual Primary Care closes gaps in care.
February 18, 2025
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VIRTUAL PRIMARY CARE |
The current healthcare landscape is one of unprecedented medical and technological advancements. But it's also rife with numerous care access issues.
Whether it's cost, scheduling difficulties, or an inability to find a provider, access issues result in the same thing: gaps in care. These gaps can lead to delayed treatment, worsening health conditions, and increased healthcare costs in the long run.
Consistent access to care is essential for improving health outcomes. However, several barriers stand in the way: high costs deter patients from seeking care, healthcare access is increasingly difficult due to provider shortages, and patients are changing how they seek care, often turning to fragmented solutions. Meanwhile, access issues create gaps in care that result in higher costs and poor health outcomes.
Current barriers to care
The previously tried-and-true approaches to healthcare are no longer viable. As the cost of care continues to rise, scheduling is increasingly difficult, staffing continues to be challenging, and access to care is only becoming more limited. Patients are also changing how they seek out care, which is making it easier for gaps to arise between primary care providers and outside care.
The healthcare landscape is shifting, and providers need to change with it to help patients find the care they need when they need it. To do so, there are several barriers to care that need to be addressed.
+ High costs deter care.
Healthcare costs have been increasing for patients and providers alike. Provider margins are narrow, meaning many care costs get passed to the patients. The average healthcare spending per person in 2024 is up to $7,151.4 For families, that number quickly climbs.
Rising healthcare costs are a top barrier to patient care: 25% of adults have delayed or skipped care because of finances.5 So, it should come as little surprise that out-of-pocket costs are the top concern for Americans.6
+ Healthcare access is increasingly difficult.
By 2028, the American Hospital Association predicts a healthcare shortage of 100,000 critical staff.7 This makes it difficult for brick-and-mortar locations to meet demand, and patients are feeling the effects.
+ Patients are changing how they seek care.
It's not just healthcare that's changing. Patient habits are changing, too.
One of the most significant changes is the rise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) care, which allows patients to forgo insurance-covered providers for quicker, easier care online.
The DTC market is already valued at $1.47 billion.10 And it's popular: 116 million people used online care in 2024 for everything from weight loss to sexual health.11 Much of this is driven by the convenience and ease of access that DTC care offers and the personalized approach to delivering care it provides.
Unfortunately, these DTC services often fail to share visit information with the patient's primary care provider, resulting in incomplete records, care fragmentation, and worse patient outcomes. And DTC services rarely provide ongoing monitoring of treatments and care, which can also lead to worse outcomes for patients.
Closing care gaps with Virtual Primary Care
Because the causes of care gaps are multi-faceted, they require an equally flexible solution—capable of fitting into patient schedules, meeting shifting expectations, and scaling as needed.
Technology offers a promising solution to improving access and bridging these gaps. MD Live Virtual Primary Care by Evernorth can help by complementing existing healthcare networks, effectively bridging gaps in access, and removing barriers to care.
Whether it's a one-off health issue or ongoing support for a chronic medical condition, MD Live Virtual Primary Care can help patients find care that fits their schedules, needs, and health profile.
+ Virtual primary care enables consistent care.
Consistency is essential to improving overall care. Yet, in-office appointments are often missed, delayed, or canceled, resulting in care gaps.
MD Live Virtual Primary Care offers comprehensive care that can provide ongoing support or address healthcare needs as they arise.
With MD Live Virtual Primary Care, patients can supplement their care to:
- Provide gap care during transitions
- Manage prescription refills and titration
- Benefit from ongoing care plan monitoring
- Find care even in a healthcare desert
+ Virtual primary care counters high costs.
Many patients put off preventive or routine care when left without options, resulting in worse overall healthcare outcomes and higher long-term costs.
MD Live Virtual Primary Care allows for more affordable care, enabling patients to seek primary care when they need it, without cost acting as a barrier.
By making primary care more accessible, many chronic or underlying conditions can be caught and managed sooner, leading to lower utilization of higher-cost care settings and reducing patient and provider costs.
+ It fits modern patient preferences and schedules.
MD Live Virtual Primary Care allows you to meet shifting patient preferences and fit within their busy schedules. With MD Live, patients can have appointments from wherever they're comfortable by simply using their smartphone.
For patients needing near-immediate care, MD Live Virtual Primary Care also offers same-day appointments.12
The relationship-building that patients have come to expect from brick-and-mortar physicians is also still present with MD Live. Patients can choose to see the same MD Live primary care doctor for every visit.
George's patient journey: a look at how MD Live Virtual Primary Care
helps with costs, scheduling, and care continuity.
George, age 50, was diagnosed with hypertension by his local, in-person physician during his last annual wellness screening and was prescribed a medication. But, after moving to a new city, George is without a primary care physician to help him manage his new hypertension diagnosis.
Finding a new primary care doctor and having an in-person follow-up appointment could incur higher up-front costs. To avoid these higher costs, George may ignore his concerns, potentially resulting in his medication not helping him as it should. In a worst-case scenario, he could end up with a more costly urgent care or ER visit down the road.
George also has a busy schedule between family and work. To make an in-person appointment, he may have to significantly rearrange his schedule, which may cause him to avoid making the appointment or resort to costly urgent care clinics or the ER.
Fortunately, he can use MD Live Virtual Primary Care to ensure his medication and ongoing care regimen are appropriately managed. With convenient access to virtual primary care, George can simply reach out to an MD Live physician and discuss his ongoing struggles with hypertension, potential alterations to his treatment, and whether he's on the proper care plan. And all during his lunch break.
Rising to modern challenges with MD Live Virtual Primary Care
Consistent care creates the foundation for a healthy life. This is especially true regarding chronic conditions, where frequent visits and provider engagement are key to positive outcomes.
With virtual primary care, MD Live can supplement existing networks and alleviate the burden on brick-and-mortar physicians, making it easier for patients to get routine care by overcoming common barriers such as time, travel, or childcare arrangements. By offering convenient, timely appointments, virtual primary care ensures patients receive the care they need when they need it most. This leads to earlier clinical interventions, improved health outcomes, and overall cost savings.
Virtual primary care helps health plans save on patient costs by treating health issues promptly and avoiding higher-cost care alternatives like urgent care or the ER. Regular access to virtual primary care also helps prevent more costly in-person urgent care or emergency room visits.
Whether patients are seeking weight loss management support, follow-up care related to an illness or infection, or medication management, MD Live board-certified doctors can provide patients with the help they need when they need it.
Modern healthcare requires modern solutions. See how MD Live can help your organization improve health outcomes and reduce costs while closing gaps in care.