Offering virtual care is a great first step toward expanding healthcare access. But for employers, the real value of virtual care benefits comes when employees know where to go, feel confident using the benefit, and can get the care they need without unnecessary barriers.
Even with a convenient virtual care option, employees may not know where to find their benefit, what services are covered, what care will cost, or who they'll be seeing. Others may simply forget the benefit exists until the next open enrollment period.
For employers, these gaps can mean missed opportunities to improve access, support employee health, and get more value from their healthcare investment.
So what separates a virtual care benefit employees actually use from one that rarely makes it into their healthcare decisions? It starts with the experience.
Virtual care has become an increasingly important way for employers to expand access to healthcare and give employees more convenient options for getting the care they need. As healthcare needs evolve, employers are also looking beyond traditional health plan networks to provide more accessible, flexible care options.
According to KFF's 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey, 30% of employers with 50 or more employees that offer health benefits have a contract for virtual primary care services beyond what's available through their health plan's existing provider network. Among employers with 1,000 or more employees, that number climbs to 45%.
This growing adoption reflects an opportunity for employers to rethink how healthcare is delivered and accessed. Rather than treating virtual care as a standalone benefit, employers can look for solutions that connect primary care, urgent care, behavioral health, pharmacy, and other services employees need throughout their healthcare journey.
The goal isn't simply to add another healthcare option. It's to make getting care easier, more convenient, and more connected.
Even when a virtual care benefit offers meaningful value, a few common barriers can get in the way of employees using it.
A virtual care service that lives in a separate app, requires a new account, and uses a different password is competing with every other app on an employee's phone.
When someone has a sore throat at 9 p.m., they're likely to reach for the healthcare app or website they already know. If virtual care is difficult to locate or requires several steps to access, they may choose another option instead.
Convenience matters. A benefit can be technically available without being easy to use.
Healthcare costs are already a significant consideration for many employees. Even when a virtual visit is more affordable than other care settings, uncertainty about copays, coverage, or out-of-pocket expenses can influence where employees choose to go.
According to KFF’s 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, the average annual premium for employer-sponsored family coverage reached $28,303, a 5% increase from 2025. Workers contributed an average of $7,471 toward that coverage, up 9% year over year. For employees in plans with a general annual deductible, the average deductible for single coverage was $1,955.
That context matters when employees are deciding whether and where to seek care. A $40 copay may look relatively small in a benefits summary. At the moment someone is deciding whether a sore throat, rash, or other relatively minor issue needs attention, that cost can become a reason to wait or look for another option.
Clear, upfront pricing helps employees understand their options and make informed decisions about their care.
Trust plays an important role in the healthcare experience. Employees want to feel confident in the provider they're seeing, understand their treatment options, and know what happens if they need additional support.
Virtual care can feel transactional when employees connect with a different clinician every time, with little connection between visits.
Continuity of care can make a meaningful difference. When employees can build an ongoing relationship with a care team, follow up on previous concerns, and get connected to additional services when needed, virtual care becomes more than a one-time appointment.
It becomes a more consistent part of how they manage their health.
Healthcare needs don't follow the benefits calendar, but employee benefits communication often does.
Many employers introduce their virtual care offerings during open enrollment and then move on to the next priority. Months later, employees may not remember what's available, what it covers, or how to access it. Ongoing communication helps keep the benefit familiar and top of mind.
That doesn't mean another major campaign every month. Short, timely reminders can reinforce awareness throughout the year. A seasonal health need, a new service, or a reminder about after-hours care can all create natural opportunities to reconnect employees with the benefit.
The easier it is for employees to remember where to go, the more likely they are to consider virtual care when a need comes up.
Employers can't evaluate the value of a virtual care benefit without understanding how employees are using it.
Enrollment and utilization measure two different things:
Enrollment tells you how many employees have access.
Utilization tells you how many are actually using that access to receive care.
At a minimum, benefits teams should be able to answer three questions:
If those numbers aren't readily available, improving measurement is a good place to start. If the data is available and utilization is lower than expected, look at the employee experience. Are employees having trouble finding the benefit? Are there unexpected costs at the point of care? Does the experience meet their expectations? Are employees aware of the full range of services available?
These answers help employers distinguish an awareness or access issue from a benefit design issue, and identify where improvements can make the biggest difference.
There isn't a one-size-fits-all utilization benchmark for virtual care. Results vary based on workforce demographics, benefit design, cost, and how easily employees can access and engage with the services available.
Revive sees an average utilization rate of 40%, reflecting the value of making everyday healthcare accessible, convenient, and free for employees.
For employers, strong utilization means more employees are turning to their benefit when they need care. And when that care is easy to access, it creates more opportunities to address everyday health needs early, support better health outcomes, and reduce avoidable healthcare spending.
A virtual care benefit should make healthcare easier to access, not add another layer of complexity. Revive brings primary care, urgent care, mental health, pharmacy, and weight health together in one app, with care available to employees at $0.
By bringing these services together, Revive helps address several of the barriers that can keep employees from using virtual care:
Employers also play an important role in keeping these services visible. Rather than relying on a single open enrollment announcement, they can reinforce awareness throughout the year with timely, relevant reminders.
The message can stay simple: care is easy to access, it costs nothing, and support is available for the everyday health needs employees already have.
Before your next benefits committee meeting, take a closer look at three numbers:
Where possible, compare those numbers with the period before the benefit launched to identify changes in utilization and care-seeking patterns.
If utilization is lower than expected, look beyond enrollment numbers. Employees may not know the benefit exists, may be running into friction or unexpected costs, or may not have a reason to return after their first visit.
The right virtual care benefit should do more than give employees another way to access healthcare. It should make getting care easier, help employees feel supported, and give employers greater visibility into how their healthcare investment is being used.
Better access is the starting point. A connected, easy-to-use care experience is what helps turn that access into lasting value. Learn more.