Recent Trends in Telehealth Claims Across the Nation
The recent data from FAIR Health illustrates a notable decline in the percentage of patients making telehealth claims throughout the country. This trend saw a decrease nationwide and across most regions for October, except in one area: the Midwest. The findings highlight shifts in patient behavior regarding telehealth utilization.
Understanding the National Decrease in Telehealth Claims
The percentage of telehealth claims decreased from 14.7% in September to 14.5% in October, reflecting a subtle 1.7% drop on a national scale. In regional assessments, the Northeast experienced a decrease of 2.2%, while both the South and West saw a more significant decline of 2.5%. Interestingly, in contrast, the Midwest reported a slight increase of 0.02%, suggesting a unique resilience in telehealth engagement in that area.
Telehealth Claim Lines Across Regions
In terms of telehealth claim lines, a similar pattern emerged. Nationally, claim lines dropped from 5.0% of medical claims in September down to 4.9% in October, marking a 0.5% decline. The Northeast and West saw significant reductions of 4.1% and 3.6% respectively. However, the Midwest and South defied this trend with increases in telehealth utilization, bolstering the claim that regional behaviors vary significantly.
Shifts in Diagnostic Categories
October 2025 brought a noteworthy change within the diagnostic categories for telehealth claims. For the first time, noninflammatory female disorders made it into the top five national telehealth diagnostic categories, taking the fifth spot and displacing sleep disorders from the list. Meanwhile, this category advanced from fifth to fourth place in the Northeast and from fourth to second in the West, whereas it was not ranked among the top five in the South.
Continued Dominance of Mental Health Conditions
Despite the changes in other categories, patients with mental health conditions continued to represent the largest percentage of telehealth claims both nationally and regionally. There was an increase from 62.1% to 63.9% in this demographic between September and October, underscoring the consistent demand for mental health services via telehealth platforms.
Urban vs. Rural Telehealth Utilization
The data continues to show that urban areas exhibit higher telehealth utilization compared to rural regions, a trend observed consistently across the country. For instance, in October, 14.6% of patients in urban locales had a telehealth claim in contrast to only 7.4% in rural sectors. This disparity was most pronounced in the Midwest.
Age Distribution of Telehealth Users
Examining the age demographics participating in telehealth revealed that young adults aged 19-30 accounted for the highest proportion at 24.0% of telehealth claims nationally, closely followed by those aged 31-40 at 23.2%. Conversely, the age groups 0-9 and 65 and older represented the lowest share of telehealth claims, with less than 10% participation.
Procedure Categories Emphasizing Mental Health
October 2025 saw psychotherapy services and established patient office visits emerge as the leading procedure categories for telehealth claims, similar to previous months. Psychotherapy ranked first nationally, capturing 48.0% of claims, while established patient office visits slightly trailed at 47.5%. This indicates a steady demand for mental health services via telecommunication methods.
About the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker
The Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker has been a valuable resource since its inception in May 2020, providing valuable insights into how telehealth evolves. This initiative utilizes extensive data to inform stakeholders about utilization trends across regions and demographics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker?
The Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker provides insights into telehealth utilization trends using data from various regions.
How did telehealth claims change in October 2025?
In October 2025, telehealth claims saw a national decrease, with the Midwest being the exception showing an increase.
What factors influence telehealth utilization?
Factors such as geographic location, age, and the type of services offered influence telehealth utilization.
What are the top diagnostic categories for telehealth?
The top diagnostic category includes mental health conditions, with noninflammatory female disorders recently making the list.
How has telehealth evolved since 2020?
Telehealth has evolved significantly since May 2020, growing in acceptance and usage, driven by various factors including public health needs.
