HHS and CMS have released new data about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on telehealth usage, as well as COVID-19’s impact on vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries.
The new report from HHS shows that there was a marked uptick in telehealth usage, peaking at nearly half (43.5%) of Medicare primary care visits in April. Compare to February, where less than one percent (0.1%) of primary care visits took place via telehealth. As parts of the country begin to get their outbreaks under control and re-open, telehealth usage has declined. Click here to read the press release from HHS, and click here to read the full report.
CMS’ new report “confirms that the COVID-19 public health emergency is disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities. This is due, in part, to the higher rates of chronic health conditions in these populations and issues related to the social determinants of health.” Click here to read the press release from CMS, and click here to read CMS’ fact sheet on the new data.