• Communicating messages on accessibility and inclusion is important for firms that wish to present telehealth as a viable alternative to traditional healthcare services.

• Telehealth taps into rural communities and expands the potential customer base for insurers.

• There is strong support from governments struggling to keep up with rapidly rising healthcare demands.

Telehealth is a broad range of technologies and services that can provide patient care and medical advice across vast distances via electronic communications. This is a field with high potential for insurers seeking to expand their consumer bases in developing and emerging markets by partnering with telehealth companies. For firms looking to grasp the telehealth market, messages on inclusion will be key. 

Telehealth was once considered expensive and unconventional, but the proliferation of affordable mobile devices and internet services across the world has made telehealth an increasingly attractive option for insurers. According to Frost and Sullivan, the telehealth market in the Asia Pacific region is expected to reach USD1.79 billion in 2020.

Insurers will need to communicate some key values to attract and retain new customers through telehealth:

• Accessibility: Patients who live in rural areas or cannot travel often find it difficult to access proper healthcare facilities. By harnessing telehealth, residents of remote communities who would normally have to travel great distances to get a diagnosis can now receive medical advice at home. Promoting a message of accessibility to these communities is crucial to attracting customers accustomed to having to travel to see a doctor.

• Inclusion: Care for the customer and medical inclusion are messages that will resonate with consumers in towns and villages with smaller populations, many of whom are becoming more aware of the benefits of insurance and telehealth. These consumers understand that there is a growing number of choices in the market and are looking for a company they can trust. 

China provides an example of how proper communication of these values can lead to huge opportunities. China’s government has made alleviation of poverty a priority, which includes providing medical services for citizens. With government support, the country’s telehealth market is expected to soon become the largest in the world, with a rapid 15% growth rate and three established nationwide telemedicine networks.  

These networks not only reduce the strain on the healthcare system by enabling the quick diagnosis of patients without the need for them to visit a clinic, but also provide access to medical services for residents of China’s numerous rural mountain villages. 

The growing potential of telehealth is also being recognised by other regulators around the world. For example, Singapore has launched a regulatory sandbox to work with telehealth startups, while Thailand has rolled out a nationwide telemedicine programme.

As telehealth continues to develop, cooperation with regulators and the communication of inclusive messaging will be critical for insurers seeking to appeal to a wider consumer base and reach the uninsured in both urban and rural areas. Insurers should seek to align themselves with the relevant government's stance on providing telehealth services, while ensuring that the values of inclusion and accessibility are included in messages crafted towards specific country markets.