COVID-19 Reappears on Top Five Telehealth Diagnoses List

After two months of decline, the FAIR Health Monthly Regional Tracker reported that telehealth use grew in April, and COVID-19 appeared as one of the top five telehealth diagnoses nationally for the first time since January.

FAIR Health is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide transparency with regard to healthcare costs and insurance information by creating new resources.

The FAIR Health Monthy Regional Tracker is a complimentary service that reports changes in telehealth usage month to month. The data is based on various factors, including claim lines, procedure codes, and diagnostic categories, and represents those who are privately insured, including Medicare Advantage and excluding Medicare Fee-for-Service and Medicaid beneficiaries.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the tracker has reported increases and decreases in the rates of telehealth use and the evolution of diagnoses, including the conditions that appear on the list of top five diagnoses at the regional and national levels.

For example, in January, the tracker reported a 10.2 percent increase in telehealth use, encompassing up to 5.4 percent of all medical claim lines. Researchers surmised that this increase was primarily due to the prevalence of the Omicron variant at the time.

Data from April shows a 6.5 percent increase in national telehealth use, from 4.6 percent of all medical claim lines in March to 4.9 percent in April. The rise in telehealth use was largest in the South, which experienced an 11.8 percent jump in April. 

Regarding diagnoses, the tracker reported regional and national changes. Substance use disorders disappeared from the top five diagnoses on the national level, while joint and soft tissue disease fell from the list in the Midwest and Northeast, and endocrine and metabolic issues fell from the list in the West. Mental health conditions remained the top diagnosis in all regions and at the national level, and COVID-19 rejoined the list at the national level.

Compared to March, the top specialties using telehealth did not change, with social work remaining the top telehealth specialty in April.

There were also no reported changes in procedure codes in April compared to the previous two months. The top code was CPT 90837, representing one-hour psychotherapy.

The COVID-19 pandemic drove up telehealth use, and though certain aspects of usage remain the same, others tend to vary month to month.

An example of this occurred in November 2021, when COVID-19 reappeared on the list of top five diagnoses nationally after two months, causing substance use disorders to fall from the list. This is likely related to the initial stages of the Omicron variant.

The tracker also reported in December 2021 that when overall telehealth use dropped, telemental healthcare remained consistent.