Abstract
Introduction
US Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare beneficiaries’ use of telehealth in 2020: trends by beneficiary characteristics and location. Available at: https://www.aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/a1d5d810fe3433e18b192be42dbf2351/medicare-telehealth-report.pdf?_ga=2.263152908.1288477598.1638811694-1417522139.1637192937. Accessed july 5, 2022.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare beneficiaries’ use of telehealth in 2020: trends by beneficiary characteristics and location. Available at: https://www.aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/a1d5d810fe3433e18b192be42dbf2351/medicare-telehealth-report.pdf?_ga=2.263152908.1288477598.1638811694-1417522139.1637192937. Accessed july 5, 2022.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare beneficiaries’ use of telehealth in 2020: trends by beneficiary characteristics and location. Available at: https://www.aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/a1d5d810fe3433e18b192be42dbf2351/medicare-telehealth-report.pdf?_ga=2.263152908.1288477598.1638811694-1417522139.1637192937. Accessed july 5, 2022.
Methods
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Physician/supplier procedure summary. Available at: https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Physician-Supplier-Procedure-Summary. Accessed july 5, 2022.
Results
Visit/Interaction type | Annual volume and proportion of visit type | Average annual percent change (2017-2019) | Annual percent change (2019-2020) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||
E&M Visits | ||||||
All E&M visits | 11,484,780 | 11,511,099 | 11,723,676 | 9,623,981 | +1.0% | –17.9% |
In-person E&M | 11,484,46 (100.0) | 11,510,416 (100.0) | 11,722,468 (100.0) | 9,370,529 (97.4) | +1.0% | –20.1% |
New | 1,676,225 (14.6) | 1,628,113 (14.1) | 1,620,992 (13.8) | 1,210,571 (12.9) | –1.7% | –25.3% |
Established | 9,808,242 (85.4) | 9,882,303 (85.9) | 10,101,476 (86.2) | 8,159,958 (87.1) | +1.5% | –19.2% |
Telehealth E&M | 313 (0.0) | 683 (0.0) | 1,208 (0.0) | 253,452 (2.6) | +96.5% | +20,881% |
Synchronous video (new) | 189 (60.4) | 365 (53.4) | 881 (72.9) | 24,513 (9.7) | +115.9% | +2,682% |
Synchronous video (established) | 124 (39.6) | 318 (46.6) | 327 (27.1) | 188,211 (74.3) | +62.4% | +57,457% |
Synchronous phone (new or established) | – | – | – | 40,728 (16.1) | – | – |
Asynchronous telecommunications | ||||||
All asynchronous telecommunications | 240 | 264 | 433 | 15,912 | +34.3% | +3,575% |
Virtual check-in (image review) | – | – | 47 (10.9) | 2,957 (18.6) | – | +6,192% |
Virtual check-in (communication) | – | – | 111 (25.6) | 4,081 (25.6) | – | +3,577% |
Digital e-visit | 240 (100.0) | 264 (100.0) | 275 (63.5) | 8,874 (55.8) | +7.0% | +3,127% |

Discussion
US Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare beneficiaries’ use of telehealth in 2020: trends by beneficiary characteristics and location. Available at: https://www.aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/a1d5d810fe3433e18b192be42dbf2351/medicare-telehealth-report.pdf?_ga=2.263152908.1288477598.1638811694-1417522139.1637192937. Accessed july 5, 2022.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare beneficiaries’ use of telehealth in 2020: trends by beneficiary characteristics and location. Available at: https://www.aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/a1d5d810fe3433e18b192be42dbf2351/medicare-telehealth-report.pdf?_ga=2.263152908.1288477598.1638811694-1417522139.1637192937. Accessed july 5, 2022.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare beneficiaries’ use of telehealth in 2020: trends by beneficiary characteristics and location. Available at: https://www.aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/a1d5d810fe3433e18b192be42dbf2351/medicare-telehealth-report.pdf?_ga=2.263152908.1288477598.1638811694-1417522139.1637192937. Accessed july 5, 2022.
Financial Disclosures
References
US Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare beneficiaries’ use of telehealth in 2020: trends by beneficiary characteristics and location. Available at: https://www.aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/a1d5d810fe3433e18b192be42dbf2351/medicare-telehealth-report.pdf?_ga=2.263152908.1288477598.1638811694-1417522139.1637192937. Accessed july 5, 2022.
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Physician/supplier procedure summary. Available at: https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Physician-Supplier-Procedure-Summary. Accessed july 5, 2022.
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