Telemedicine isn't just something out of “The Jetsons”; it's fully grounded in 21st century health care and, according to Rene Quashie and Amy Lerman of Epstein Becker & Green, remote access to health services could save your business big bucks. The authors note a recent study from Towers Watson concluded that employers with at least 1,000 employees could save up to $6 billion per year if they switched to remote health consults when appropriate.

In addition, telemedicine could be the solution to the impending “Cadillac tax” in the Affordable Care Act, which will start penalizing employers in 2018 for health plans with annual premiums exceeding $10,200 for an individual and $27,500 for a family. “Given this impending tax,” say the authors, “employers are looking for efficient ways to cut their employee health care costs.”

The Towers Watson study says that only 20 percent of U.S. employers offer telemedicine services to their employees right now, but 40 percent say they are planning to start this year, and 33 percent say they will in the next three years. Though effective use of telemedicine can reduce physician office visits by 15 percent, emergency room visits by 15 percent and urgent care visits by 37 percent, there are some legal and regulatory hurdles to look out for. These include state licensure laws, privacy and security, and medical liability.