Taking care of your health can be time-consuming. Driving to doctor’s appointments, spending time in the waiting room, sitting in the exam room… all those minutes taken out of your day can add up.
Fortunately, telehealth is making it faster and easier to see doctors and specialists via a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Also known as telemedicine, virtual visits, or video visits, telehealth appointments offer the same high level of care, guidance, and expertise from a healthcare professional that you can get in an office visit. But instead of traveling to receive in-person care, you can receive it from the comfort of your home, apartment, or wherever you are.
Below, we’ll describe what telehealth is, what services it covers, and how it works, as well as how it’s covered by Medicare. We’ll also describe how to find out if telehealth is covered by your Medicare plan now and in the future.
Telehealth: what it is and its benefits
Telehealth can be described as the use of technology by patients to visit doctors and specialists online. Many rural and remote areas use telehealth to connect patients in local clinics with healthcare professionals in larger cities. Even before 2020, some clinics and hospitals had already implemented telehealth access for patients.
But the COVID-19 pandemic put telehealth in the spotlight, making it safe and convenient for many people to access medical care without leaving home. Now, telehealth has become routine for many people, no matter their age or where they live.
And it’s easy to see why: the flexibility that telehealth offers can save a lot of time, not to mention the money saved on travel. Plus, many doctors and specialists have added telehealth as a standard consultation option, meaning you don’t need to see someone new to get the convenience of a virtual consultation.
Types of appointments and services you can access with telehealth
The good news is that most of the services you receive from a doctor in a clinic can also be done via video consultation. For example,
- Primary care – Consultations on common illnesses and injuries, chronic condition management, preventative care (including hybrid preventative care), medication management, general health issues such as nutrition, sleep, weight management, exercise plans and more.
- Urgent Care – When you need fast help with cold and flu symptoms, allergies, skin problems, back pain, and other annoying health issues that require the help of a doctor.
- Obstetric and gynecological care – Cover women’s health care, including menopause care and sexual health.
- Specialized care – Initial, follow-up and condition management visits for allergies, cardiology, urology, neurology, oncology, behavioral health and more.
Basically, any type of care that doesn’t require an in-person exam, evaluation (such as an X-ray), lab test, or procedure can be done through a virtual visit.
How to use virtual tours
It’s easy to get started with telemedicine. When you schedule your next appointment with a doctor, ask if a virtual or video visit is possible. If you schedule your appointment online, you may also be presented with a virtual visit option.
Once you schedule your first appointment for a virtual visit, you may be sent a consent form to fill out and sign, likely via email or through your online account. As the day of your virtual visit approaches, you will also be sent a notification to register online, which may include additional appointment-specific forms that need to be completed and a way to pay your co-pay, if necessary. You will also receive instructions on how to access your virtual visit via your smartphone, tablet, or computer—usually this is with a web browser such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Safari.
A few hours before your visit, check to make sure your device is fully charged, working, and ready to go. Settle into a quiet, well-lit location, connect to Wi-Fi if you can, put on your headphones, and a few minutes before your visit, you’ll receive an email or text with a special link. Click this secure link when it’s time for your appointment, and you’ll be ready to go.
Does Medicare cover telehealth?
The short answer is yes, at least until December 31, 2024. After that, it may depend on your Medicare plan.
Currently, telehealth visits are accepted, billed, and covered the same way as in-person visits. So, for those with Original Medicare, once the Part B deductible is met, Medicare covers telehealth services at 80%, with the remaining 20% paid out-of-pocket. Medicare Advantage plans are similar, but details may vary from plan to plan.
Currently, nearly all Medicare Advantage plans offer a telehealth benefit. And, seeing how most healthcare providers have integrated telehealth into their offerings, it looks like that coverage could remain, even after 2024 ends. Just check your plan benefits to see how telehealth is currently covered for you.
However, if you have Original Medicare, your access to telehealth may be significantly limited starting January 1, 2025. After that date, you will only be covered for telehealth services from an office or medical facility in a rural area. There are some exceptions, including visits for home dialysis, stroke care, substance use disorder, mental health, and behavioral health.
How to Use Telehealth for Your Annual Medicare Wellness Visit
If you’re thinking that your annual Medicare wellness visit would be a perfect opportunity to try telehealth, you’re right: Just like an in-person visit, a virtual Medicare annual wellness visit comes at no cost to you.
You don’t need to do anything special that you wouldn’t normally do. When you schedule your appointment, just confirm that you’re seeing the doctor for a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit to make sure you won’t be charged anything.
Medicare and Telehealth: Tracking Annual Changes
Medicare plans can have some notable changes from year to year. How your plan may cover telehealth is no different. If your plan currently covers telehealth, check your plan’s Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) when it arrives before the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period begins each year.
The ANOC will detail any changes to your current Medicare plan, including changes to premiums, costs, and covered services, such as telehealth. Watch for your ANOC to arrive in the mail or be available online on September 30 of each year, before annual enrollment begins on October 15.
