A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that massive increases in the use of telehealth helped maintain some health care access during the COVID-19 pandemic, with specialists like behavioral health providers seeing the highest telehealth utilization relative to other providers. The report, which was produced by researchers in HHS's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and analyzes Medicare fee for service (FFS) data in 2019 and 2020, also highlights that telehealth services were accessed more in urban areas than rural communities, and Black Medicare beneficiaries were less likely than White beneficiaries to utilize telehealth.

“This report provides valuable insights into telehealth usage during the pandemic,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “CMS will use these insights – along with input from people with Medicare and providers across the country – to inform further Medicare telehealth policies.”

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, various telehealth flexibilities enabled patient access to their providers,” said HHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Rebecca Haffajee. “Pre-pandemic telehealth visits for Medicare beneficiaries went from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions, with many utilizing telehealth for the first time. Today’s report offers a detailed data analysis on important trends for policymakers.”
To help beneficiaries maintain some access to care amid stay-at-home orders to reduce COVID-19 related exposure, CMS used emergency waiver authorities enacted by Congress, as well as existing regulatory authorities to implement policies expanding access to telehealth services during the pandemic. These included waiving several statutory limitations such as geographic restrictions and allowing beneficiaries to receive telehealth in their home. Outside of the public health emergency (PHE), Medicare is generally restricted to payment for telehealth services in certain, mostly rural areas, and when beneficiaries leave their home and go to a clinic, hospital, or other type of medical facility for the service. There were some exceptions for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease, stroke and other specific conditions. Additionally, in response to the pandemic, the HHS Office for Civil Rights relaxed enforcement of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 privacy requirements for videoconferencing.

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