Blue Shield of California's virtual-first health plan: 6 key numbers

Blue Shield of California launched its virtual-first health plan in partnership with Accolade and TeleMed2U in January 2023.

Since then, Virtual Blue members are seeing shorter appointment wait times, fewer emergency room visits and higher primary care engagement, according to an April 12 news release.

Six key numbers:

1. In post-visit surveys, members gave physicians an average net promoter score of 96.
2. Virtual Blue members who used virtual care benefits saw primary care physician claims increase 31% from 2022 to 2023, compared to those who did not use their virtual benefits.
3. Emergency room claims among Virtual Blue members who used virtual care dropped 11 percentage points between 2022 and 2023 compared to members who did not use virtual care.
4. About two-thirds of Virtual Blue members scheduled appointments within one day, compared to the national average of 3 to 4 weeks for an in-person visit.
5. Eighty-five percent of Virtual Blue members were screened for behavioral health needs during virtual primary care visits.
6. Total cost of care decreased by 8% to 10% among Virtual Blue members that used virtual care compared to members who did not.