Telehealth Flexibilities Did Not Increase Outpatient Medicare FFS Visit Volume, But Did Result In Lower Post-Visit Costs

After Medicare eased telehealth restrictions during the COVID-19 public health emergency, telehealth visits among fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries rose during 2020, but then stabilized in 2021 and beyond. The increased volume of telehealth visits was not associated with an increase in the volume of outpatient evaluation and management (E&M) visits. Telehealth-initiated episodes of care were associated with lower use of lab tests and imaging compared to in-person visits. Telehealth visits were associated with lower 30-day Medicare spending.

These trends were reported in a pair of preprint studies examining Medicare FFS utilization and spending . . .