Staying Healthy
What are the most popular video-based medical visits?
News briefs
- Reviewed by Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
The use of video calls for health care visits skyrocketed during the pandemic. And even though the pandemic seems to have eased, some aspects of video-based telemedicine remain extremely popular, according to evidence published in the February 2024 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers analyzed more than 277 million visits within the Veterans Affairs Health Care System from January 2019 to August 2023. Scientists found that video-based visits remain close to the peak pandemic level of about 12%, which is a 2,300% increase from the prepandemic level. As of August 2023, video appointments made up about 4% of specialist visits, 4% of primary care visits, and 35% of mental health care encounters. Medicare's coverage of telehealth visits (both video and phone calls) is set to expire at the end of 2024, so you might want to take advantage of the service while it's covered. Telehealth visits with occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists are also covered for now. Meanwhile, Congress is debating whether to extend Medicare coverage of telemedicine beyond 2024. We'll keep you posted.
Image: © Natalia Gdovskaia/Getty Images
About the Author
Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
About the Reviewer
Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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