- Telehealth is a rapidly growing industry with many opportunities for Indian workers.
- Remote jobs let you work from home, or anywhere that takes your fancy.
- Health care jobs may qualify Indians for skilled worker immigration opportunities.
- Gain experience and promotion opportunities with remote work before applying for immigration.
Traditional health care jobs are on-site positions, but the telehealth sector is growing rapidly. From telephone-based triage nurses to remote psychologists, there are many opportunities in the telehealth sector. Entry-level positions pay an average of around $56,000 per year,1 while more experienced workers can earn $133,000 per year or more, depending on their location. Many companies are looking for Indian workers to provide language-specific services, so qualified Indian workers are in demand.
What Is Telehealth?
Telehealth, or telemedicine, is the term used to describe health care services provided remotely via telephone, online chat, or video call. Telehealth providers offer a valuable service to those who are disabled, housebound, or live in remote areas. While telehealth providers cannot offer quite the same level of care as a doctor offering a face-to-face consultation, they do important triage work and can save patients time and money. Telehealth consultations account for between 13 and 17% of all patient visits2 in the United States, and that figure is expected to rise in the coming years.
What Sort of Telehealth Jobs Are Available?
There are many health care services that can be offered via telemedicine, including:
- Doctor
- Triage nurse
- Psychology services
- Initial physiotherapy consultations
- General wellness advice
Because telehealth workers are providing medical advice, even entry-level workers are expected to have a certain level of training, although the qualifications required will depend on the type of work being performed. Entry-level positions where the worker is providing general advice or screening before putting a patient through to a primary care physician may have lower qualification requirements.
There are also many health care-related jobs that don’t involve dealing with customers and that can be done remotely, such as:
- Health Insurance Fraud Investigator
- Clinical Analyst
- Compliance Advisor
How Much Do Telehealth Workers Earn?
Telehealth workers can command high salaries in many cases. Indian workers who are offering support to Indians living in America and who are fluent in Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati or other modern Indian languages may command a premium for their expertise. Salaries vary from state to state, too. For example, in Massachusetts, a telehealth worker can earn an average of around $150,000.3 Those working in other states, or from India, may earn less than that, but in general, telemedicine workers earn more than the national average.
How to Get a Job in Telehealth
To work in telehealth, you will need to either have a medical degree or a qualification in some form of allied health profession, such as nutrition, psychology or physical therapy. There are some positions available for nurses, especially those who have reached the rank of nurse practitioner. Qualified nurses are in demand in America, as the number of nurses in the workforce is declining,4 while the average age of the population is increasing, putting a strain on the nursing system. If you’re an Indian nurse looking to increase your earnings, a telehealth position in the United States could be an interesting career opportunity for you.
Top Companies Hiring Telehealth Workers
Many hospital networks and independent health care providers in the United States use telehealth workers. Even the Veterans Health Administration provides some telehealth services. Indians looking for a remote telehealth position may find it useful to look at the job advertisements of some of the biggest telehealth providers in the country, such as CVS Health, Primary.Health and PRA Health Services. These companies are major employers with good reputations that need a large number of staff to provide remote medical services across the country.
1. CVS Health
CVS Health5 is a well-known health solutions company best known for its pharmacies. The company serves millions of Americans and has a presence all over the United States. While in-person services are still its primary business, CVS Health does have remote positions, and it works with some telehealth professionals. If you’re hoping to work for one of the most well-known health-related brands in the United States, CVS is the logical choice, as it’s a brand that is well-established yet is willing to move with the times.
2. PRA Health Sciences
PRA Health Sciences6 is more of a research company than a healthcare provider. However, they are hiring remote workers who have medical-related qualifications. If you’re interested in working in the fast-moving field of health sciences and would like to advance research into life-saving drugs, PRA Health Sciences could be the right company for you. Remote positions are available in a range of administrative departments, although many of the jobs are “work from home” but do require the employee to be in the United States.
3. Primary.Health
If you’re passionate about public health, Primary.Health7 could have jobs that would interest you. This organization develops testing and diagnostics programs to help companies and local governments comply with health guidelines. They frequently have remote work available for their advisory board, and also for enrollment specialists. These aren’t jobs where you’d be dealing with patients, but they may interest someone targeting the broader picture of public health and the wide-scale impact it can have given the health emergencies we’ve seen in the last few years.
4. Soliant Health
Soliant Health8 is a health care provider that offers remote consultations, so it may interest people who are looking to work with patients on a one-to-one basis. There are opportunities for remote work in speech pathology, psychology and a variety of other disciplines. Those with strong IT skills are highly sought-after, too. Should you decide to move to the United States, you’ll find there are many in-person jobs available with Soliant, and career progression opportunities are abundant.
5. UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group9 is a major health insurance provider that also offers technology and information-enabled health services under its Optum wing. As a dynamic and innovative company, it has embraced remote workers and welcomes them for a variety of positions, including everything from medical coders to clinical investigators. The company has a presence in many parts of the United States, so if you’re hoping to immigrate, building a relationship with them before applying as a skilled foreign worker could be a viable entry route.
6. Cotiviti
Cotiviti10 is a healthcare analytics company that was founded in 1979. It’s often recruiting people with expertise in health care-related fields, including clinical analysts and health care fraud investigators. If you’re interested in technology, data and health care, the kind of work available at Cotiviti may appeal to you. The company is well-respected and has many major clients, so there are progression opportunities for those who are interested in the field. Cotiviti has offices in the United States, Nepal, Canada and India, giving employees the chance to travel as they advance within the company.
Immigration Opportunities for Telehealth Workers
Indian workers with medical qualifications may find it possible to immigrate to the United States under one of the Employment Based Immigration11 options. Indians can find remote work with telehealth providers without needing a visa, and use that work to build a relationship with their employer, so they can be sponsored for immigration at a later date. If you’re hoping to live in the United States one day, this is a practical and achievable way of getting to know some employers in the country and getting that valuable sponsorship.