New research out of the University of Utah finds that Medicare beneficiaries are using virtual care for a wide range of health concerns, not just behavioral health issues.
Telehealth may be seen as the answer to access issues for behavioral healthcare, but that's not all it's good for.
A new study out of the University of Utah, with support from the University of Michigan and the Veterans Affairs Center for Clinical Management Research (CCMR), finds that nearly half of all telehealth visits across the country for Medicare patients is for something other than a behavioral health concern.
The results stick a pin in the idea that telehealth isn't just a niche solution to the behavioral health access crisis, and adds credence to the efforts of the American Telemedicine Association, Alliance for Connected Care and others that virtual care should be broadly embraced by the healthcare industry. That it's being used so much by Medicare beneficiaries points to the importance of federal support, both in expanding opportunities for care providers to use telehealth and increasing reimbursements for them.
"Navigating the insurance labyrinth of Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and supplemental plans is already a complicated task for any older adult," Alexander Chaitoff, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at University of Michigan and second author on the study, posted in the Annals of Internal Medicine, said in a press release. "Having more certainty on whether their telehealth care will be supported on a more permanent basis could be helpful, given how important it is for managing chronic conditions."
"It's hard to imagine going back to a world where telehealth is a tiny fraction of all the health care that's delivered," added Terrence Liu, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at University of Utah Health and the first author on the study. "It's not the predominant mode of delivery, and it still has issues that need to be worked out. But I think with greater confidence and support for making telehealth coverage more permanent for non-mental health conditions, health systems will have additional incentive to invest in it and find ways to improve it."
In the study, Liu, Chaitoff and their colleagues drew upon the experiences of some 15,000 Medicare recipients between 2021 and 2023. During that time period, that group recorded 31 million annual telehealth visits for mental health concerns and another 29 million annual visits for non-mental health concerns, such as diabetes and blood pressure.
The data indicates telehealth is an important care option for medically vulnerable populations, such as those with chronic conditions who seek care often and may need support at home in between those care visits. It's also a critical channel for those with difficulties travelling to the doctor's office, the elderly and families.
Advocates will use this study as evidence in their efforts to make the COVID-era Medicare telehealth waivers permanent. The waivers, first enacted in 2021 and recently extended by Congress to the end of next year, expand opportunities for providers to use virtual care and improve Medicare coverage for those services.
Eric Wicklund is the Associate Content Manager and Senior Editor for Innovation and Technology at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Between 2021 and 2023, a sample group of 15,000 Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth 31 million times a year for treatment of a behavioral health concern and 29 million times a year for other health concerns, such as a chronic care issue.
The research debunks one claim that telehealth is only used to address the mental health access crisis and supports the argument that it's a valued channel of care for many people.
This supports efforts by advocates to expand Medicare coverage of telehealth services and give more care providers an opportunity to use virtual care.