Telehealth Use More Frequent Among Urban, Hispanic Medicare Beneficiaries

While researching telehealth activity from the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study conducted by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that Hispanic and urban Medicare beneficiaries were most likely to use virtual care modalities.

For many Medicare beneficiaries, the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on healthcare access, according to the OIG study. However, in response to in-person care restrictions, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lifted various telehealth barriers to mitigate issues that patients may face when obtaining care. 

Previously, OIG found that during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, about 28 million Medicare beneficiaries (40 percent) used telehealth.

After gathering information on telehealth use, the OIG created a data brief that aimed to review past data and inform future decisions.

The data collected for the brief came from the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, from March 1, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021. Researchers analyzed Medicare fee-for-service claims data, Medicare Advantage encounter data, and data from the Medicare Enrollment Database.

Researchers first noted that urban residents had a higher likelihood than rural residents to use telehealth during the study period. Further, those from Massachusetts, Delaware, and California were very likely to use telehealth.

Another finding was that patients who were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid were more likely to use telehealth, along with those who were Hispanic, young, and female.

In addition, researchers noted that home settings were common for telehealth use. Audio-only telehealth was also very common, particularly among older, dually eligible, and Hispanic patients.

Based on this data, researchers created a list of recommendations to support the implementation of telehealth and improve access and quality of care for all patients.

The OIG informed CMS that strategically switching from policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to long-term regulations is critical, particularly in treating urban residents and those engaging in telehealth from their homes. OIG also noted that further evaluation of audio-only telehealth is necessary, along with using a modifier to identify audio-only telehealth services, and supporting healthcare equity using telehealth.

Recent reports have provided insights into the patterns of telehealth use.

A report published in August by Elevance Health’s Public Policy Institute indicated that telehealth use remained high, especially among older, rural Medicaid beneficiaries in Florida.

Amid the enduring use of telehealth among Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, government agencies are striving to optimize virtual care and close care gaps. 

In August, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General (VA OIG) stated that the digital divide consults and devices process conducted by the Veterans Health Administration was not as effective as it could have been.