Teladoc Alternatives for Employers
Teladoc is the biggest name in virtual care, and for many organizations it works. Employers usually start looking for alternatives for one of two reasons: utilization that stalls, or visits that end with a referral because a phone or video call can't run a test. Here's the honest field, including where each option genuinely beats the others.
EZaccessMD
That’s usAn employer-sponsored benefit that pairs 24/7 telehealth with in-home diagnostics: when the physician needs more than a phone call, a medical technician brings rapid tests, labs, X-ray, ultrasound, and EKG to the member's home or workplace. Utilization-based PEPM with a renewal credit if usage runs below plan, $0 copay for members with the whole family included (no dependent limit), virtual mental health at no additional cost, and utilization around 75% across our book, because visits actually get resolved.
Best for: Employers who want everyday urgent episodes resolved at home instead of becoming urgent care and ER claims.
Amwell
A telehealth platform with two decades in the market, widely used by health plans and systems, with behavioral health depth spanning therapy, psychiatry, and digital programs. Care is virtual: its own urgent care pages note that doctors on the platform are not able to order lab tests, so diagnostic needs are referred to in-person providers.
Best for: Plans and employers standardizing on a proven virtual-care platform.
MDLIVE (Evernorth)
Carrier-integrated telehealth spanning urgent care, primary care, dermatology, and behavioral health, with more than 50 million covered members. Tight integration with Evernorth-affiliated plans is the draw; lab work means a member trip to a contracted Quest or LabCorp location, and there is no in-person or in-home service.
Best for: Employers whose carrier relationship makes MDLIVE the path of least resistance.
First Stop Health
An employer-focused telehealth benefit with virtual urgent care, virtual primary care, and mental health care, known for funded engagement campaigns and engagement well above virtual-only norms. Care is delivered by app, website, or phone.
Best for: Employers who want a straightforward, employer-first virtual-care benefit.
Included Health
Care navigation plus virtual-first care: advocacy that guides members through billing, benefits, and complex episodes, layered with virtual primary, urgent, and behavioral care, and strong published engagement. It steers care well; in-person needs are referred to local in-network providers rather than delivered.
Best for: Large employers that want navigation and advocacy across the whole benefit stack.
Frequently asked questions
- Why do employers look for Teladoc alternatives?
- The two most common reasons are engagement and resolution. Utilization for typical telehealth-only benefits runs around 10-15%, and a virtual consultation can't swab for strep, draw labs, or take an X-ray, so members still end up at urgent care or the ER for anything diagnostic.
- What's the main difference between these alternatives?
- They fall into three camps: virtual-care platforms (Amwell, MDLIVE, First Stop Health), navigation-led models (Included Health), and a model that delivers the diagnostic step in the home (EZaccessMD). The right pick depends on whether you want breadth, steering, or resolution at home.
- Which alternative resolves visits without a claim?
- EZaccessMD. It's a utilization-priced benefit with a $0 member copay, and when diagnostics are needed a technician brings them to the member, so the resolved episode never becomes plan spend.