Telemedicine Vendor Evaluation Criteria
| Criterion | What to Ask | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Utilization rate | What % of eligible members use the service annually? | 15–25% annual utilization is strong |
| Average wait time | How long does it take to connect with a provider? | <15 minutes is excellent; >30 minutes is poor |
| Member satisfaction | What is the member satisfaction score? | >4.5/5.0 is strong |
| Clinical quality | What are the prescribing rates and follow-up rates? | Antibiotic prescribing <50% for URIs is good |
| Cost per visit | What is the all-in cost per visit? | $40–$75 is typical |
| Specialty coverage | What specialties are available? | Primary care + mental health minimum |
Bundled vs. Standalone Telemedicine
Most health plans include telemedicine as a bundled benefit through a carrier-contracted vendor. Bundled telemedicine is convenient — employees use their existing plan ID card — but utilization is often lower than standalone vendors because employees are not aware of the benefit or find it difficult to use.
Measuring Telemedicine Performance
Pro Tip
Request quarterly telemedicine utilization reports from your vendor. Track utilization rate, average wait time, member satisfaction, and cost per visit. Compare these metrics to the benchmarks above. If your utilization rate is below 10%, your telemedicine benefit is underperforming — and you are leaving significant cost savings on the table.