Telehealth Services Reduce ER Visits for Individuals with Disabilities

A New York-based managed care plan says telehealth services for members with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) have helped lead to fewer emergency room visits and reduced overall costs for care.

Partners Health Plan (PHP), which provides healthcare services to some 1,750 individuals with I/DD in downstate New York, partnered with telehealth company StationMD to offer connected health services to roughly 1,100 members.

In a press release announcing results of the 12-month pilot program, the telehealth service fielded nearly 700 calls from PHP members throughout the year and succeeded in resolving 90 percent of the health inquiries. 

The program also significantly reduced healthcare costs for both patients and payers, according to PHP officials. Those savings were mostly seen in reduced ER visits. 

PHP members living with I/DD who used the service saved up to $1,900 in individual healthcare costs, according to the health plan. In addition, PHP saved about $2.2 million in ER and hospital admission costs and up to $20,800 in transportation costs.

“We are thrilled with the StationMD partnership in helping our members avoid disorienting—even traumatic—visits to the ER 90 percent of the time,” Kerry Delaney, chief executive officer of Partners Health Plan, said in the press release. “Their ability to bring specialized doctors to a virtual examination room allowed our members to get the medical care they needed without the anxiety associated with a trip to the ER and delays in receiving care services and treatments.”

These benefits of telehealth are especially important when considering the effects that COVID-19 can have on individuals with physical and mental disabilities. People with I/DD, which includes those with Down Syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy, have a higher chance of dying from COVID-19 compared to individuals with kidney disease, lung disease, or congestive heart failure, according to a study from the New England Journal of Medicine.

They’re also more likely to have problems accessing healthcare, due to transportation and care coordination issues.

During the past year, with COVID-19 at its peak, making trips to the ER could have put these individuals at high risk of contracting the virus. But going without necessary medical treatment was not an option. Their payer’s partnership with the telehealth service presented the opportunity to stay safe while also receiving the care they needed.

The telehealth visits could also stand to benefit patients after the pandemic is over, as telehealth has proved to be a more accessible option for some individuals and their families even without the threat of COVID-19.