During the first half of 2020, Medicare payments to physicians were 19% below the spending level predicted before March 13, 2020, the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic public health emergency. By April 2020, Medicare spending on physician services was 57% below expected pre-pandemic levels. By June 2020, Medicare spending recovered, but was still 12% lower than expected. Expected spending was $48.4 billion, and actual spending was 19% lower at $39 billion, representing a cumulative drop of $9.4 billion during the first six months of 2020.

Medicare spending on physician services decline across all . . .

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Medicare

The Medicare program is a health insurance program funded by the federal government for older adults, aged 65 and above, as well as younger individuals who have disabilities or end-stage renal disease. There are both strategic opportunities and challenges for health and human service provider organizations serving Medicare beneficiaries, who often have complex health and social support needs. As a result, Medicare plans are looking for innovative services and initiatives that demonstrate a return-on-investment in spending and consumer outcomes.


Medicare mental health specialists with high uptake of telemedicine mental health services between 2018 and 2023 had a 0.88 percentage point higher share of services provided to fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries in rural areas, compared to mental health specialists in the lowest telemedicine uptake quartile, according to a recent study. Much of the increase in rural service use was due to existing patients moving farther away from their specialists, rather than new rural beneficiaries seeking out… Read