In October, Telehealth Utilization Increased Nationally and in Every Region but the Midwest, Where It Decreased

Psychiatric Nurse Rose from Fourth to Second Highest-Ranking Telehealth Specialty Nationally

NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In October 2024, telehealth utilization increased nationally and in every US census region but the Midwest, where it decreased, according to FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker. Nationally, telehealth claim lines¹ climbed from 4.80 percent of medical claim lines in September to 4.89 percent in October, an increase of 2.0 percent. In the Northeast, the increase was 1.0 percent; in the South, it was 1.2 percent; and, in the West, it was 2.8 percent. In the Midwest, however, the telehealth share of medical claim lines decreased by 3.7 percent. The data represent the commercially insured population, excluding Medicare Fee-for-Service, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid.

Specialties

From September to October 2024, at the national level, psychiatric nurse rose from fourth to second position in the top five telehealth provider specialties, displacing family practice, which fell from second to fourth. Nurse practitioner fell out of the national rankings in October and was replaced by psychologist, which entered in fifth position. In the West, family practice fell from second to third position, while psychiatric nurse rose from third to second. The rankings of the top five telehealth provider specialties remained unchanged in the Midwest, Northeast and South.

Social worker remained in first position nationally and in all regions in October, varying from 31.5 percent of telehealth claim lines in the South to 41.8 percent in the Midwest.

Diagnostic Categories

Nationally, hypertension fell from fourth to fifth position in the top telehealth diagnostic categories in October, switching places with developmental disorders, which rose from fifth to fourth.

In the Midwest, acute respiratory diseases and infections entered the top five rankings for the first time since May, in third position. In the South, acute respiratory diseases and infections rose from third position in September to second in October.

As in previous months, nationally and in every region, mental health conditions remained in first position in October.

Mental Health Diagnoses

There was no change in the rankings of the top five mental health diagnoses from September to October 2024. Nationally and in every region, the top five mental health diagnoses in both months were: generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, adjustment disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Utilization by Age

In October 2024, the age group 31-40 accounted for the largest share of telehealth claim lines nationally and in all regions, while the age group 19-30 accounted for the second largest share everywhere. In both months, these two age groups each accounted for between 20 and 30 percent of telehealth claim lines nationally and in every region.

Monthly Cost Spotlight

Nationally and in the South, in October 2024, the median allowed amount² for CPT^®3 97803 (therapy procedure reassessment for nutrition management, each 15 minutes) was higher when rendered in an office than via telehealth. Nationally, the office cost was $31, while the telehealth cost was $30. In the South, the office cost was $27 and the telehealth cost was $25. In the Midwest, however, the office cost and the telehealth cost were both $34, while in the Northeast, both the office and telehealth cost were $31. Only in the West was the office cost ($30) lower than the telehealth cost ($32).

About the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker

Launched in May 2020 as a free service, the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker uses FAIR Health data to track how telehealth is evolving from month to month. An interactive map of the four US census regions allows the user to view an infographic on telehealth in a specific month in the nation as a whole or in individual regions. Each year, the infographic introduces varied views into telehealth utilization. In this fifth iteration of the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, each infographic shows month-to-month changes in volume of telehealth claim lines; that month's top five diagnostic categories, mental health diagnoses and specialties; age distribution; and the Place of Service Cost Corner, which compares median allowed amounts for a specific procedure provided via telehealth to the same procedure provided in an office.

For the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, click here.

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About FAIR Health

FAIR Health is a national, independent nonprofit organization that qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. It is dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation's largest collection of commercial healthcare claims data, which includes over 49 billion claim records and is growing at a rate of over 3 billion claim records a year. FAIR Health licenses its commercial data and data products—including benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics and market indices—to commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D, which accounts for a separate collection of over 49 billion claim records; FAIR Health includes among the commercial claims data in its database, data on Medicare Advantage enrollees. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health's systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 Type 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers' compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish, which enables consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offers a rich educational platform on health insurance. An English/Spanish mobile app offers the same educational platform in a concise format and links to the cost estimation tools. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org.

Contact:
Rachel Kent
Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
FAIR Health
646-396-0795
[email protected]

¹ A claim line is an individual service or procedure listed on an insurance claim.
² An allowed amount is the total fee paid to the provider under an insurance plan. It includes the amount that the health plan pays and the part the patient pays under the plan's in-network cost-sharing provisions (e.g., copay or coinsurance if the patient has met the deductible).
³ CPT © 2024 American Medical Association (AMA). All rights reserved.

SOURCE FAIR Health