Employers may have started offering telemedicine in recent years to keep the cost of care down, and the pandemic has helped drive employees toward remote medical treatment.

Indeed, 43% of employers polled by Aflac say they now offer telemedicine to their workers, up from 29% last year. The insurer polled 1,200 benefits decision-makers from June 12 through June 30.

“It’s partially the convenience factor, but there’s also the fear factor: I don’t want my employee in high-outbreak cities going to the doctor if I can accomplish the same level of care virtually,” said Matthew Owenby, chief human resources officer at Aflac.

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