TouchCare, the premier healthcare concierge service, has expanded its service offering to include new clinical programs for its members: remote teletherapy, teen teletherapy, and telepsychiatry (telemedicine). The new offerings further advance TouchCare’s two stated goals of healthcare cost savings and improved member experience.
TouchCare is a service offered by employers to help employees and their family members better navigate the complex healthcare system. They currently serve hundreds of employers and hundreds of thousands of individuals. “Six months ago, we expanded our services to include clinical resources. Telemedicine and second opinion services have already made a big impact for our members,” says TouchCare CEO, Rob LaHayne. “In 2019, almost 10% of member interactions involved a request for behavioral health services. We’re confident that with these new services addressing mental and behavioral health issues, TouchCare will continue to positively affect the quality and convenience of care that our members receive.”
TouchCare’s virtual behavioral health services will be provided in partnership with MeMD. Though one in five adults struggles with mental health issues, 56% don’t receive treatment, according to Mental Health America. MeMD’s telepsychiatry solution, available for both adults and teens, helps eliminate common barriers, including long wait times, high costs, and privacy concerns.
"Mental health issues in the U.S. have reached crisis proportions, but provider shortages, narrow networks and the stigma of seeking treatment create huge barriers for care," says MeMD CEO, Bill Goodwin. "With teen teletherapy and adult telepsychiatry, companies can offer a lifeline to employees who are worried about their children or have mental health concerns of their own."
Typical teletherapy solutions can be limited in terms of what they can treat. “By combining best-in-class guidance with speedy access to therapists and psychiatrists, we have created a unique concierge service experience that improves member access to care,” says LaHayne.
TouchCare’s mental health services are designed to improve member outcomes. “Of all the reasons members reach out to TouchCare, this issue is the toughest to solve,” says Juliet Frerking, SVP of Operations at TouchCare. “Members struggle daily with finding a quality, affordable mental health practitioner. The wait times are often weeks, if not months. Our partnership with MeMD is about making sure our members can take the best course of action – getting the help they want quickly and effectively.”
Kevin Wallquist, Executive Vice President at MeMD, continues, “Our partnership with TouchCare guides members to our unique services, giving members access to the most appropriate and highest quality of care as quickly as possible.”
“Many times, our members have access to employer-sponsored benefits that they aren’t aware of and therefore don’t use. TouchCare consistently achieves very high utilization with our customers. By leveraging our position as an engagement tool to help guide members to other important services, we can continue to improve member experience and reduce healthcare costs.” – LaHayne
For more information, please email: [email protected] or visit TouchCare’s website: www.touchcare.com.
