Optum now offering virtual care nationwide, execs say
Summary
"We were very proud of how quickly we stood up over 17,000 providers during the pandemic on telehealth solutions, but that really is just ... the beginning," said OptumHealth CEO Wyatt Decker on the call. On the call Thursday, executives signaled their optimism about virtual cares sustainability despite declines in use from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Witty forecasted a number of new telehealth initiatives in deployment between Optum and UnitedHealth, emphasizing the integrated nature of the platforms. Telehealth regulations – and the uncertainty surrounding them – mean that offering virtual care throughout the entire country could present a more complicated task than doing so in select markets. Still, the moves suggest that major companies are confident in telehealths longevity – and individual state laws have generally supported virtual care (and reimbursement parity for it) as well.