When Every Minute Matters: Getting the Right Clinical Signal Into the Right Hands is starting in

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