How Seniors Are Using Telehealth and What Medicare Covers

See How Seniors Are Using Telehealth

Telehealth lets people see a doctor without leaving home. They can use a phone, computer, or tablet. Does Medicare cover Telehealth for these consultations? This is very helpful for older adults, especially those who have trouble traveling.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth means talking to a doctor or nurse using a screen instead of going into an office.

It’s great for check-ups, therapy, or even getting advice about medicines.

Telehealth visits among Medicare beneficiaries increased dramatically from approximately 5 million in 2019 to over 53 million in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. So, does Medicare actually cover Telehealth for these services? Yes, it does.

What Does Medicare Cover?

Medicare is health insurance for people who are 65 or older. Does Medicare, however, cover Telehealth?

• Original Medicare: Part B covers some Telehealth visits. It pays for doctor visits, mental health care, and a few other services. This helps answer the question: Does Medicare cover telehealth visits?
• Medicare Advantage Plans: These plans are offered by private companies. Most of them offer even more telehealth services than Original Medicare. Some plans even let you talk to a doctor 24

Telehealth Use During and After COVID-19

When COVID-19 started, many people stayed home to be safe. That made Telehealth very popular. Seniors used it a lot because they didn’t want to risk getting COVID.

While the number of users of Telehealth skyrocketed in 2020, by 2021 about 43% of adults over the age of 65 reported using telemedicine services within the last 12 months. However, this usage declined to 30% in 2021. But does Medicare cover Telehealth for seniors during such times?

While Medicare does cover Telehealth for seniors, the willingness of seniors to use Telehealth continues to go down the older they are.

While a 66 year old may feel comfortable using Telehealth, many seniors in their late 70s and older are more inclined to skip Telehealth for in person appointments with their doctors.

After the pandemic ended, fewer people used Telehealth. In fact, by the end of 2022 only about 15% of the senior population was using Telehealth at some point in time.

Some went back to seeing their doctors in person, some people never found the technology comfortable to use, while others didn’t know Telehealth was still an option.

Why Telehealth Continues To Matter

Telehealth can save time and make life easier. It helps seniors get care even if they can’t drive or leave home easily. It’s also great for mental health check-ins and small health problems.

If you or someone you love is 65 or older, talk to your doctor or Medicare plan about telehealth options. You may be wondering: does Medicare cover telehealth in all cases? It might be easier than you think!

Sources:

Medicare.gov. “Telehealth.” Retrieved from https://www.medicare.gov

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). “Medicare Telemedicine Health Care Provider Fact Sheet.”

Kaiser Family Foundation. “Medicare and Telehealth: What Changed During the Pandemic and What Might Stick.”

National Library of Medicine “Findings From a National Survey of Older US Adults on Patient Willingness to Use Telehealth Services: Cross-Sectional Survey” Retrieved from https://www.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

JAMA Network “Telehealth Expansion and Medicare Beneficiaries’ Care Quality and Access” Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2818640?resultClick=3