Telehealth Utilization in Florida Medicaid from 2019 to 2021 Underscores Opportunity to Improve Access
Increased telehealth utilization among Florida’s Medicaid members has persisted past the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of telehealth utilization data during and post-public health emergency (PHE) underscores the opportunity for telehealth to increase access, especially for rural members, older adults, and minority communities.
In response to COVID-19 and the PHE that ensued, Medicaid allowed reimbursement for a broader range of telehealth services and individuals started using these services more. Though telehealth utilization has decreased since peaking in 2020, it remains higher than pre-pandemic.
As federal policymakers and state Medicaid agencies consider the future of telehealth policy post-PHE, it is important to consider how telehealth services can impact Florida’s diverse Medicaid population. This brief analyzes telehealth utilization among Simply Healthcare’s Medicaid members to highlight the demographics of those using these services and opportunities for telehealth to improve accessibility and health care delivery going forward.
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