Telehealth utilization grew across most U.S. regions in October 2024, with the Midwest as the sole exception, according to FAIR Health's monthly telehealth regional tracker.
Nationally, telehealth claim lines increased from 4.80% of medical claim lines in September to 4.89% in October, marking a 2% rise. Regional increases varied, with the West seeing the largest growth at 2.8%, while the Midwest experienced a 3.7% decrease.
Here are four things to know about telehealth utilization, according to FAIR Health's tracker:
- Psychiatric nurses moved up to the second-most common telehealth specialty nationally in October, overtaking family practice, which fell to fourth place.
- Mental health conditions remained the leading telehealth diagnostic category nationally and regionally.
- The tracker revealed modest differences in telehealth costs compared to office visits. For instance, the median cost for a nutritional therapy reassessment was typically $1 to $2 lower via telehealth than in-office, except in the West, where telehealth costs were slightly higher.
- Telehealth usage was highest among patients aged 31–40, followed by those aged 19–30, a pattern consistent across all regions.