Currently, telemedicine was a component of 22 percent of the health plans offered to employees by the survey respondents. In addition to the 37 percent who said they would offer it next year, another 34 percent indicated it would be part of their health plans by 2017.

Noting that these employers would be utilizing already existing telemedicine products and services, Towers Watson said a comprehensive adoption of telemedicine today by U.S. employers could save as much as $6 billion annually in health-care spending. Studies have shown that Americans make many unnecessary trips to the emergency room or to an urgent care facility, and that interventions made possible by telemedicine could easily reduce those trips significantly.

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"While this analysis highlights a maximum potential savings, even a significantly lower level of use could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in savings," said Dr. Allan Khoury, a senior consultant at Towers Watson. "Achieving this savings requires a shift in patient and physician mindsets, health plan willingness to integrate and reimburse such services, and regulatory support in all states."

Khoury said that, while use of telemedicine will inevitably increase, employers that now offer it find that per-member utilization rates are low, often less than 10 percent.

"With both insurance companies and employers encouraging its use, telemedicine is going to have a growing role in the spectrum of health care service delivery. We're also likely to see that it's just the tip of the iceberg. Telemedicine is just one piece of a broader telehealth spectrum that includes video, apps, kiosks, virtual visits, wearable devices and other advancements," he said.

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