2022 Global Medical Trends Survey Report
Our last survey included a spotlight on telehealth, which finally came into its own during the pandemic. We have now provided an update on this feature, as we have seen telehealth understandably expand in use across the globe with fewer restrictions and a growing acceptance among insured members.
Four in 10 insurers (37%) identified the addition of telehealth services as the biggest change organizations have made to their medical portfolios in 2021. We believe telehealth’s momentum will be sustained post-pandemic and that the role of telehealth will continue to evolve as a navigation tool to speed access to the right care and as a means of closing gaps in access to care.
Globally, 52% of insurers offered telehealth across all plans (Figure 1). Of these, 85% offered telehealth at no additional cost. Insurers in Latin America (87%) and Europe (68%) are most likely to offer telehealth across all plans, with 78% and 92%, respectively, offering these services at no additional cost.
Almost three in 10 insurers (28%) offered telehealth only for select plans. Of these, 78% offered telehealth at no additional cost. Insurers in Asia Pacific (50%) were most likely to offer telehealth only for select plans, with 92% offering these services at no additional cost.
Across all regions, insurers that offer telehealth are most likely to cover primary physician/general practitioner (GP) services. The other key areas most likely to be covered include prescription drugs, specialists consultants, mental health and navigation for acute illness.
Globally, 97% of insurers indicate that physician/GP services are legally allowed to be delivered via telehealth. Results for prescription drugs are fairly similar to those for GP services, with an average of 90% indicating that these services are legally allowed to be delivered via telehealth.
On a global basis, 80% and 85% of insurers, respectively, report that specialist consultants and mental health services are available under country legislation; however, in the Middle East roughly three in 10 insurers indicate that these services are not legally available via telehealth.
Two-thirds of insurers globally indicate that navigation for acute illnesses is legally allowed to be delivered via telehealth, a figure that rises to 91% in Latin America and drops to 53% in Asia Pacific.
Currently, 66% of insurers globally report that less than 10% of insured members use telehealth for physician/GP services, while 19% indicate that 10% to 19% use telehealth for these services (Figure 2).
By the end of 2022, we expect more widespread acceptance of telehealth, with just 39% of insurers expecting less than 10% of insured members will use telehealth for physician/GP services, whereas a third (32%) of insurers expect 10% to 19% of insured members to access these services in this way. And 14% of insurers expect as many as 20% to 29% of insured members to access GP services via telehealth.
Insurers expect the use of telehealth for GP services to grow across all regions but especially in Latin America, and Middle East and Africa.
Globally three-fifths of insurers (59%) say that less than 10% of insured members use telehealth to access prescription drugs. Seventy-six percent of insurers in Latin America and 71% of those in the Middle East indicate that less than 10% of insured members in their respective regions access prescription drugs in this way.
By the end of 2022, 38% of insurers globally expect that less than 10% of covered members will access pharmacy services via telehealth.
Strong growth in this service is expected by the end of 2022 in Latin America — where 46% of insurers expect 10% to 19% of insured members to access pharmacy services via telehealth — and in Europe — where 28% of insurers expect this same percentage of insured members to access pharmacy services via telehealth. In the Middle East and Africa, 27% of insurers expect 20% to 29% of insured members to access these services in this way.
Currently, 57% of insurers globally report that less than 10% of insured members access specialist consultant services via telehealth. This percentage is expected to hold steady through the end of 2022.
A key growth area is the Middle East and Africa where roughly a fifth (19%) of insurers expect 30% to 49% of insured members to use telehealth to access specialist consultant services by the end of 2022.
At present, 56% of insurers globally report that less than 10% of insured members access mental health services via telehealth; however, almost three in 10 (29%) insurers in Europe and 19% in the Middle East and Africa say that 10% to 19% of their insured members do so.
By the end of 2022, roughly one-fifth of insurers globally indicate that 10% to 19% of insured members will access mental health services via telehealth. Another fifth of insurers in Europe (22%) and in the Middle East and Africa (23%) expect 20% to 29% of insured members to use telehealth to access mental health services.
It’s still early days when it comes to using telehealth for navigation in cases of acute illnesses. Currently, 44% of insurers globally indicate that none of their insured members are using telehealth in this way, and 46% say less than 10% of insured members are using telehealth for navigation for acute illnesses.
By the end of 2022, we anticipate modest growth, with a fifth of insurers in Latin America (23%) and slightly more than one- tenth of insurers globally (14%) as well as those in Asia Pacific (13%) and Europe (14%) expecting 10% to 19% of insured members to use telehealth to access navigation services for acute illnesses.
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| Title | File Type | File Size |
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| 2022 Global Medical Trends Survey Report | 15.1 MB |
