Medicare covers a wide variety of medical and health-related services, including telehealth and virtual check-ins. Telehealth coverage expanded during the pandemic and has been extended until December 31, 2024.

Telehealth uses electronic communication technology, such as your cellphone or computer, to allow remote healthcare visits and education. Until December 31, 2024, many of these visits can be conducted while you are at home, at other private locations convenient to you, or at a healthcare facility.

After December 31, 2024, some people may be able to continue to have telehealth appointments from home, but many more people may need to go to an official Medicare facility to participate in telehealth services.

Continue reading to learn more about telehealth, what parts of Medicare cover it, and more.

Medicare is made up of several parts that each provide a different type of coverage. The main parts include:

Telehealth is covered by Medicare parts B and C. Here’s more information about this coverage.

What telehealth does Medicare Part B cover?

Medicare Part B covers some telehealth services. Together, Medicare Part A and Part B are sometimes called Original Medicare.

A telehealth visit is treated the same as if you went to an in-person outpatient visit. The types of telehealth services that are covered include:

  • office visits
  • consultations
  • psychotherapy
  • some occupational and physical therapy services

Some examples of healthcare professionals who can provide telehealth services include:

In some cases, you can get telehealth services from your home. In others, you’ll need to go to a healthcare facility.

What telehealth does Medicare Part C cover?

Medicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage, is sold by private insurance companies. It provides the same coverage as Original Medicare and may include additional benefits.

In 2020, changes were made to Part C that may allow it to offer more telehealth benefits than Original Medicare. These changes include increased access to telehealth benefits from home instead of requiring a visit to a healthcare facility. In 2023, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 extended these changes until December 31, 2024.

Additional benefits can vary based on your Part C plan. Check your specific plan to see what type of telehealth benefits are offered.

When to consider using telehealth?

Below are some examples of when telehealth might be used:

If you have Part B, you’ll be responsible for a coinsurance payment of 20% of the cost of the telehealth services you receive. Keep in mind that you must first meet your Part B deductible, which is $240 for 2024.

Part C plans are required to provide the same basic coverage as Original Medicare. However, you’ll want to contact your plan’s provider before using telehealth services to make sure a particular service is covered and to get an estimate on any out-of-pocket cost.

Once you’re enrolled in Original Medicare, you’ll be eligible for telehealth services.

You may be eligible for Medicare if you’re 65 years old and over, have end stage renal disease (ESRD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or if you’re unable to work because of a diagnosed disability.

Approved facilities

People with Part B coverage often need to go to a healthcare facility for telehealth services. Check with your plan to find out if you should go to an approved facility for your visit. These types of facilities include:

  • doctor’s offices
  • hospitals
  • skilled nursing facilities
  • community mental health centers
  • rural health clinics
  • critical access hospitals
  • hospital-based dialysis facilities
  • federally qualified health centers, which are federally funded nonprofits that provide medical services to those who can’t afford them

Location

The type of telehealth services you can receive with Original Medicare depends on your location. You must be located in a county outside the Metropolitan Statistical Area or a rural Health Professional Shortage Area.

These areas are determined by government agencies. You can check your location’s eligibility on the Health Resources and Services Administration website.

Remember that only specific types of healthcare providers and appointments are covered. If you aren’t sure if something is covered, check with your insurance provider before initiating telehealth services.

The 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act expanded telehealth coverage for those with Medicare. There are now some situations when you may be exempt from the usual Medicare rules related to telehealth. In 2023, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 extended these changes until December 31, 2024.

Let’s take a closer look:

ESRD

If you have ESRD and are receiving at-home dialysis, you may receive telehealth services either at home or at your dialysis facility. Location restrictions related to telehealth are also eliminated.

However, after beginning at-home dialysis, you must have occasional in-person visits with a healthcare professional. These visits should take place once a month for the first three months and then every three months going forward.

Stroke

Telehealth services may help you get quicker evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a stroke. Therefore, they may be used for an acute stroke regardless of your location.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs)

ACOs are groups of healthcare providers that work together to coordinate care for Medicare beneficiaries. This type of coordinated care ensures that people who are ill or have chronic health conditions get the care they need.

If you have Medicare and use an ACO, you’re now eligible to receive telehealth services at home. Location restrictions don’t apply.

Medicare virtual check-ins and E-visits

Medicare also covers some additional services that are very similar to telehealth visits. These services are available to all Medicare beneficiaries across the country, regardless of location.

  • Virtual check-ins: These are brief audio or video communications you request from your healthcare professional to avoid unnecessary office visits.
  • E-visits: These give you another way to communicate with your healthcare professional through a patient portal.

Like a telehealth visit, a virtual check-in or an e-visit only requires 20% of the cost. To set up virtual check-ins or E-visits, you must first speak with your healthcare professional.

Telehealth in the time of covid-19

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, some changes have been made to telehealth services covered by Medicare. These changes were made to help prevent the spread of the virus, particularly to those are at risk of serious illness.

The following changes are currently in effect:

  • Medicare beneficiaries can receive telehealth services from any type of originating facility, including in their own home.
  • Restrictions on location are lifted, so Medicare beneficiaries anywhere across the country can use telehealth services.
  • Healthcare providers can now waive or reduce cost-sharing for telehealth services that are paid for by federal healthcare programs such as Medicare.
  • You no longer need to have an established relationship with a specific healthcare provider to use telehealth services.

Telehealth has several potential benefits. First, it can help protect Medicare beneficiaries during high risk situations. This was particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it could also be good practice during flu season.

Telehealth also helps streamline health services. For example, routine follow-ups and monitoring of chronic conditions can often be done using telehealth. This may potentially reduce the volume of in-person visits in an already overstressed healthcare system.

Telehealth can also be useful if you’re in rural, hard-to-reach, or lower-resourced locations. It provides ready access to various healthcare professionals or specialists who may not be located in your area.

Telehealth is when long-distance medical services are provided through the use of technology, such as videoconferencing. Medicare covers some types of telehealth, and it looks like this coverage will increase going forward.

Medicare Part B covers telehealth when used for an office visit, psychotherapy, or consultation. However, only certain healthcare professionals and locations are covered. Medicare Part C may offer additional coverage, but this may vary by your specific plan.

Typically, there are location restrictions for Medicare-covered telehealth services. However, these have been expanded by the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act and the COVID-19 pandemic and extended through December 31, 2024, by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.

If you’re interested in receiving telehealth services, speak with your healthcare professional. They’ll let you know if they provide them and how to schedule an appointment.