Blue Shield of California’s Virtual Blue plan continues to see positive results for enrolled members, including an overall 7% to 10% overall reduction in cost of care, the insurer announced Thursday.
The virtual-first program, which was first launched in 2023 in collaboration with Accolade and TeleMed2U, has more than 150,000 members to date. It allows members to access a slew of virtual health services at no additional cost, as well as receive care from providers in Blue Shield’s PPO network.
Blue Shield of California Senior Vice President of Commercial Markets Tim Lieb said in a statement that the platform has been a “win for members, employers and our Blue Shield mission.”
“Members can get appointments faster and save on out-of-pocket costs; employers can offer more equitable access regardless of demographics; and as a nonprofit health plan, we’re advancing our commitment to high‑quality, affordable care for all Californians,” Lieb said.
The insurer said average wait times for the program “significantly outperform” statewide in-person averages across California, citing data from the California Department of Managed Care. Members seeking primary care saw a one day wait, compared with patients waiting 10 days for in-person care. Specialty care also saw decreased wait time—three days for Virtual Blue versus 15 days for in-person care.
Moreover, emergency room visits have dropped by more than 10% among Virtual Blue members—with 60% of members saying they would have turned to costlier care, like the emergency room, without the plan.
Virtual Blue has also expanded access to healthcare in rural areas, the insurer notes.
As the program continues to show benefits for members, the insurer recently added virtual primary care options to its Trio HMO plan. It also plans to continue adding Virtual Blue as an option to “more group employer plans over the next several months.”
“Virtual‑first care expands access and bridges critical care gaps,” said Carol Koeble, M.D., regional medical director at Blue Shield of California, in a statement. “It supports busy families, shift workers, those with mobility challenges, and people living in areas with provider shortages or disaster risks—and everyone in between.”
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