Telehealth is widely used by older adults insured by Medicare, new research shows

Policymakers are still deciding whether to make some types of Medicare coverage for telehealth permanent. Studies show it helps older adults get more consistent health care.

By: Terrence Liu, University of Utah, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 6, 2026

Words: 767

Last Updated: 3 days, 20 hours ago

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By Terrence Liu, University of Utah

Americans age 65 and older who are insured by Medicare logged about 60 million telehealth visits annually between 2021 and 2023 – about 31 million for mental health and 29 million for other health issues. That’s the key finding in a new study I co-authored in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

We also found that people with Medicare coverage who used telehealth services were generally in poorer …

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