During the company’s earnings call Tuesday (Nov. 3) evening, Amwell Chairman and CEO Dr. Ido Schoenberg began by addressing the reality facing its customers at a time when health plans are facing projected cost increases of 8% to 11% in 2027.
Against this backdrop, employers are scaling back redundant digital vendor contracts and prioritizing platforms that drive actual patient utilization. Schoenberg stressed that health plans “no longer buy access. They buy engagement and outcomes.”
Consumer behavior is shifting toward integrated care models and digital tools. Schoenberg noted that three in 10 adults now use AI tools monthly for health information, compared to out of every six two years ago.
In response, Amwell updated its member portal—cutting returning user screens from 12 to three—which helped increase patient visit satisfaction ratings to 4.9 out of 5. That friction reduction coincided with a 41% year-over-year surge in virtual primary care visits, highlighting demand for ongoing digital clinician relationships rather than one-off urgent care consults.
As for its own numbers, Amwell reported revenues of $49 million, down 12.9% year-over-year but $1 million above its guidance range. The company raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to between $204 million and $206 million, from $200 million to $205 million.
Addressing customer frustration over vendor sprawl and member confusion—noting that “a member who does not know where to start does not start”—Amwell is positioning its software infrastructure as a bridge between automated tools and medical professionals.
“We are not selling an AI feature,” Schoenberg told analysts. “We are the trusted platform where AI-powered care runs with clinicians in the loop.”
This clinical platform approach is gaining a footprint in large-scale government programs. Amwell currently powers virtual care for 9.6 million Military Health System beneficiaries and recently secured a letter of intent from the Department of Veterans Affairs to deploy its enterprise software across the VA network.
Research by PYMNTS Intelligence has found that consumers are increasingly integrating technology into how they manage healthcare.
For example, around one-third of Gen Z consumers surveyed by PYMNTS said they had their most recent healthcare visit virtually, versus just 5% of baby boomers, highlighting a widening divide in care delivery.
However, more than two-thirds of the Gen Z respondents faced at least one payment barrier, versus 18% of boomers, even as young cohorts made more use of digital healthcare tools.
“As with commerce more broadly, the lesson is that digitizing access alone is not enough,” PYMNTS wrote. “The healthcare journey now spans discovery, care and payment, and the weakest link increasingly sits at checkout.”
