Telehealth: A Smarter Way for New York Counties to Support their Workforce

Kaitlyn Herwig, Guest Contributor, Northeast Director of Business Development at AllyHealth

County governments across New York face growing pressure to provide meaningful employee benefits while managing budgets responsibly. Rising healthcare costs, provider shortages, and increasing demand for mental health services have made it more challenging than ever to deliver benefits that truly meet employees' needs.

Telehealth has emerged as more than a convenient alternative to traditional care. It has become a practical strategy that helps counties improve access to healthcare, encourage preventive care, and support employee wellbeing while helping manage long-term healthcare costs.

Today's workforce expects healthcare to be accessible when and where they need it. Whether an employee is working in a county office, maintaining public infrastructure, serving first responders, or supporting residents in the community, finding time for appointments during the workday is not always easy. Long wait times and travel to specialists can delay care, resulting in unnecessary emergency room visits, lost productivity, and avoidable healthcare expenses.

By providing virtual access to urgent care, primary care, and mental health services, counties can remove many of these barriers and make it easier for employees and their families to receive timely care. Employees are more likely to seek treatment when it is convenient, confidential, and available without the challenges of scheduling traditional appointments.

The impact extends beyond convenience. When employees can address health concerns earlier, they are often able to avoid more serious conditions that require expensive treatment later. Early intervention also helps reduce absenteeism and allows employees to return to work sooner with appropriate care.

Mental health has become an especially important component of employee benefits. Public sector employees often balance demanding workloads while serving their communities. Providing accessible mental health resources gives employees another avenue for support before challenges begin affecting their personal wellbeing or job performance.

One county leader has already seen the value of expanding access through virtual care.

Otsego County Treasurer Allen Ruffles said, "AllyHealth has helped our county provide meaningful employee support while remaining mindful of benefit costs. It's been a practical way to improve access without adding financial strain. We've found that AllyHealth helps employees seek care earlier and more appropriately, which aligns with our long-term cost management goals and helps reduce unnecessary use of higher-cost visits."

Experiences like this demonstrate that telehealth is not simply another benefit offering. It becomes part of a larger healthcare strategy that supports employees while helping organizations make better use of healthcare resources.

For employees, convenience often becomes the deciding factor in whether they seek care. Busy schedules, family responsibilities, and limited provider availability frequently lead people to postpone treatment until conditions worsen.

One Human Resources professional shared how virtual care has made a meaningful difference for employees balancing work and family responsibilities.

Former Cattaraugus County Employee Benefits Specialist Trisha Priest said, "As a working mom, time, money and energy are saved using our AllyHealth telemedicine benefit. Within 15 minutes I am connected with a doctor. No waiting for an appointment date to arrive, requesting time off from work, or paying a deductible or co-pay. I couldn't ask for a more convenient service for our employees."

Stories like these illustrate how convenience translates into greater utilization. When healthcare is easier to access, employees are more likely to use it appropriately instead of delaying care until it becomes urgent.
For counties, successful telehealth programs also provide administrative advantages. Rather than creating additional complexity for Human Resources or benefits administrators, a well-designed virtual care solution can complement existing health plans while supporting broader organizational goals such as recruitment, retention, employee engagement, and cost management.

The ability to offer comprehensive virtual care to all eligible employees, regardless of health plan participation, can also help promote greater health equity across a diverse workforce. Virtual Care Services become accessible to employees wherever they live or work, reducing many of the barriers associated with traditional healthcare delivery.

Benefits professionals who have worked extensively with public sector organizations recognize the value this approach can bring.

CSEA Deputy Director Member Benefits Scott Futia said, "After working with municipal clients for over 25 years, looking for health insurance cost containment solutions without simply shifting costs to plan participants, I have found that AllyHealth provides that rare 'win-win' solution for plan sponsors and employees. The program helps redirect costly and unnecessary claims, enhances convenient access to providers, supports smarter utilization, and delivers a hands-on engagement approach that makes it easy for employers to achieve meaningful results, all while reducing administrative burden." 

As counties continue evaluating ways to strengthen their employee benefits, Virtual Care deserves consideration as a long-term investment rather than a temporary convenience. It supports healthier employees, encourages appropriate utilization of healthcare resources, and provides access to care that fits the realities of today's workforce.

When thoughtfully implemented, virtual care helps counties achieve what every public employer strives for: healthier employees, stronger benefits, and responsible stewardship of public resources.