Last fall, the use of telemedicine in the country decreased by almost 4%

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In October 2022, after three months of relative stability, telehealth use in the country decreased by 3.7%, from 5.4% of health care requests in September to 5.2% in October, according to FAIR Health’s Monthly Regional Telemedicine Tracker.

The decline in telehealth use was greater than the national average in the South (6.8%), Midwest (4.9%) and West (4.1%), while use increased by 1% in the Northeast. 7%.

Data represents the privately insured population, including Medicare Advantage and excluding Medicare and Medicaid with pay-for-service.

WHAT IMPACT

In the same month, COVID-19 continued to rank among the top five telemedicine diagnoses nationally and in most regions, as it did in September. In October, nationally and in the Midwest, COVID-19 dropped from third to fifth in the rankings. In the Northeast, it fell from second to third place, and in the South, it fell from fifth place in the rankings. In the West, COVID-19 is no longer among the top five telehealth diagnoses since September.

As in September, acute respiratory illnesses and infections moved up in the top five telemedicine diagnoses in October. In the Northeast, from September to October, this diagnosis rose from third to second place; in the West, it rose from fourth to second place. Nationally, as well as in the Midwest and South, it remained in second place but increased the percentage of telemedicine claim lines. For example, nationwide it has grown from 3.1% in telemedicine application lines to 4.1%.

From September to October 2022, the rankings of the top five telemedicine specialties did not change nationally or regionally. Social workers remained the number one telemedicine specialty nationally and in every region.

Meanwhile, the rankings of the top five telemedicine procedure codes did not change nationally or by region from the previous eight months. The number one telemedicine procedure code in the country and in every region remained one-hour psychotherapy.

BIG TREND

To help beneficiaries maintain access to health care during stay-at-home orders to mitigate COVID-19-related impact, CMS used congressional emergency waiver powers and existing regulators to implement policies that expand access to telehealth services during a pandemic.

These include waiving several statutory restrictions such as geographic restrictions and allowing beneficiaries to receive telemedicine in their homes.

A comprehensive spending package, passed in December, extended telemedicine and inpatient home care programs after the end of the public health emergency. Legislation expands exceptions for both programs. Telemedicine flexibilities remain in effect until the end of 2024.
Outside of a public health emergency, Medicare is generally limited to paying for telemedicine services in certain, mostly rural areas, and when beneficiaries leave their home and go to a clinic, hospital, or other healthcare facility for service.

In a Physician Pay Schedule Rule published in November, CMS announced that for the first time outside of COVID-19 PHE, Medicare will pay for psychiatric clinic visits provided by federally qualified rural clinics and health centers through interactive video-based telemedicine, including telephone conversations with sound only.

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