Introducing the “Leveraging Virtual Health Within a Value-Based Care Framework: Advancing Health Equity in the Medicaid Population” Report

A collaboration between USofCare and Deloitte Health on opportunities for advancing health equity through virtual care.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in virtual care, with a willingness to use telehealth services increasing from 52% in 2019 to 62% in 2021. Equity and accessibility remain a priority in virtual care to best serve all Americans, especially historically marginalized and underserved communities. The pandemic also disproportionately affected groups without internet access, technology skills, and the ability to pay out of pocket.

Two years into the pandemic, Americans continue to adapt to the lasting changes that COVID-19 has brought, including the increasing demand of virtual healthcare services. Throughout the year, US of Care and Deloitte Health, the health services branch of the consulting company, gathered with healthcare thought leaders to develop strategy on improving value-based care through virtual delivery and an equity lens. 

The culmination of our work can be found in our new report titled,  “Leveraging Virtual Health within a Value-Based Care Framework: Advancing Health Equity in the Medicaid Population.” This report will better serve our community of healthcare providers, healthcare leaders, and the broader healthcare ecosystem. Here are some of our key findings:

• Medicaid-First Approach: We need to position the Medicaid population first, as this group needs the most help accessing virtual care.
• Three main initiatives: These three initiatives should be the foci for a Medicaid-first, value-based care approach.
  • Measurement across identity/demographic data
  • Continuous eligibility for multiple years
  • Acceleration of value-based care models among safety-net providers

Learn more about these strategies in the full report below, and follow @DeloitteHealth and @USofCare on Twitter as we continue the momentum toward building a better and more equitable health care system that meets people’s unique needs.