Where are Seniors More Receptive to Telemedicine?
The Covid-19 pandemic led to a sea change in the popularity of telemedicine services. As the pandemic took root in March and April of 2020, many Medicare beneficiaries turned to telemedicine when their doctors’ practices stopped providing office visits or restricted services to those their highest risk patients. Many beneficiaries chose to avoid in-person visits to reduce their exposure. On March 17, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded reimbursement and loosened regulations for telemedicine services. Volumes increased sharply in April. We estimate that 54% of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries used telemedicine during the first nine months of the pandemic.
