New study: Nationwide telemedicine adoption was not significantly associated with changes in visits or spending
By HME News Staff
Updated 10:21 AM CDT, Tue May 12, 2026
YARMOUTH, Maine – Telemedicine adoption is not significantly associated with changes in visits or spending – overall or across major payer groups – easing concerns about large spending increases, according to a recent article published in JAMA. In this cohort study using difference-in-differences analysis of more than 3 million U.S. adults during 2019-23, point estimates suggested that high-telemedicine-adopting areas had 2.4% fewer visits and 0.5% lower spending. Researchers found utilization and spending changes were consistently null across Medicare fee-for-service, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and dually eligible and commercially insured populations. Their conclusion:
“Telemedicine is now widely used, stimulated by pandemic-era expansion rules and payment parity to in-person visits. Lawmakers continue to consider how to revise existing policies because of uncertainty about the potential for telemedicine to increase utilization and spending…Nationwide telemedicine adoption was not significantly associated with changes in visits or spending, either overall or when stratified by urbanicity, payer type or area-level social vulnerability, thus easing concerns about large utilization and spending increases from telemedicine expansion.”
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