How More Routine Primary Care Visits Can Help Employers Reduce Healthcare Costs

Why high-risk employees benefit most and how virtual care providers make it happen

Routine Care, Rising Costs & A Better Path Forward

Employers are navigating a tricky equation: healthcare costs are rising, and workforce health needs are getting more complex. But new research points to a smart, sustainable way forward: encouraging more frequent primary care visits, especially for employees with higher health risks.

A recent study from The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) found that commercially insured adults with higher clinical risk had significantly lower total healthcare expenditures when they engaged in more routine primary care. The takeaway? Early, frequent care pays off when delivered the right way.

Key Findings from the AJMC Study

The data is clear: more visits to a primary care provider (PCP) correlate with lower total healthcare costs but only when applied strategically.

• For employees with high clinical risk, more PCP visits are strongly associated with cost savings.
• For lower-risk individuals, the return on investment is less clear.
• There is an “inflection point” where two or more visits per year begin to yield significant returns for high-risk employees.

For employers, this signals an opportunity: deploy resources intentionally by increasing PCP access among your most vulnerable employee populations.

How Virtual Care Providers Remove Barriers to Primary Care

While traditional in-person care can be slow, costly, and inconvenient, virtual care providers offer a more scalable and accessible solution especially for busy, high-need employees.

First Stop Health’s virtual primary care model eliminates friction and closes care gaps. Members receive:

• Same-day or next-day access to primary care via phone or app
• $0 cost for members, which removes financial hesitancy
• Care built for adherence, with personalized follow-ups and check-ins
• Access to mental health, health coaching, and specialist referrals all in one place

By offering virtual care that’s easy to use, cost-free, and always-on, employers can empower more employees to build healthy habits earlier—before conditions escalate into costly claims.

Cost Containment: A Strategic Advantage 

Employers who prioritize frequent routine primary care access are playing the long game and seeing real results. In fact, virtual-first strategies can reduce:

• Emergency room visits
• Hospitalizations
• Late-stage diagnoses
• Disability claims

And when backed by performance guarantees, like those offered by First Stop Health, these strategies become even more compelling. Employers can demand results, track them transparently, and tie their investments directly to impact.

Integrating Virtual Care into Your Employee Benefits Strategy

Here’s how forward-thinking HR and benefits teams can align their strategy with this research:

1. Stratify your workforce using available health risk data or chronic condition indicators.
2. Expand access to virtual primary care for high-risk groups, removing cost and convenience barriers.
3. Work with a telehealth or virtual care provider that offers outcome measurement, reporting dashboards, and follow-up care.
4. Set clear benchmarks including utilization goals, preventive care metrics, and ER avoidance stats.
5. Hold your vendor accountable with a performance guarantee.
   
   

With the right strategy you’re delivering care and outcomes that both employees and leaders love.

FAQs: Primary Care Frequency, Cost Savings & Virtual Care

How many primary care visits per year are ideal for employees?
For high-risk employees, the AJMC study suggests that 2+ PCP visits annually can deliver significant cost savings. For others, annual checkups are a strong baseline.

Do virtual visits count toward these savings?
Yes. Virtual visits with a board-certified primary care physician can be just as clinically valuable and far more accessible. In many cases, they increase adherence to routine care.

How do I identify which employees should get more PCP support?
Start by reviewing chronic condition data, claims reports, or absenteeism patterns. Your virtual care provider may also offer risk stratification or care navigation tools.

Can First Stop Health help track outcomes?
Yes. First Stop Health offers reporting that showcase utilization, cost avoidance, satisfaction scores, and engagement trends all tied to your goals.

94% of employers report raising expectations for their vendor partners,

See Why Employers Are Raising the Bar on Virtual Care Providers

Get the Run Down

The bottom line

Not all care is created equal and not all visits lead to savings. But when employers double down on frequent, accessible primary care for high-risk groups, they unlock better outcomes and real cost containment.

Virtual care providers like First Stop Health make this model sustainable, measurable, and loved by employees.

Want to design a benefits strategy that actually delivers?
See how virtual care can drive real results without adding more complexity.

• Virtual Primary Care 
• Virtual Mental Health 
• Virtual Wellness Specialist Care 
• Virtual Urgent Care

FAQs: Choosing the Right Virtual Care Provider

What should employers look for in a virtual care provider?
Look for a provider that delivers comprehensive services, like virtual primary care, urgent care, and mental health — with $0 cost for members, proven engagement rates, and strong performance guarantees. Complementing your existing benefits strategy is also key.

How do telehealth solutions support employee wellness?
Telehealth solutions eliminate barriers to care, allowing employees to access providers on their schedule and from any location. This leads to better preventive care, reduced stress, and more consistent health management, essential components of a successful wellness program.

Why is cost containment a major concern in virtual care?
Rising healthcare costs are driving demand for solutions that demonstrate ROI. A trusted virtual care provider helps employers avoid unnecessary ER visits, reduce absenteeism, and increase care adherence, directly supporting cost containment goals.

How can data from virtual care improve our benefits strategy?
Utilization trends reveal which services employees value most. This data helps HR teams align offerings with actual needs, optimize vendor spend, and proactively support at-risk populations, making your employee benefits strategy more data-driven and responsive.

What is a performance guarantee in virtual care?
Top virtual care providers offer performance guarantees tied to usage. This ensures you're not just paying for access, you’re paying for outcomes. First Stop Health, for example, offers utilization-backed guarantees for their employer clients.