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KDI 경제교육·정보센터

ENG
  • 경제배움
  • Economic

    Information

    and Education

    Center

국제무역
Telehealth Vs In-Person Outpatient Mental Health Service Use and Spending Among Medicare Beneficiaries From 2019 to 2023
RAND
2026.05.14
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services relaxed restrictions on telehealth services, leading to rapid expansion of telehealth use for mental health care. Although postpandemic patterns are documented for commercially insured populations, little is known about Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries, who represent a substantial share of mental health care users. To fill the gap, we examined monthly telehealth and in-person outpatient mental health service utilization and spending rates among FFS beneficiaries. We focused on 5 major diagnostic categories representing approximately 75% of assigned diagnoses for individuals meeting criteria for any mental disorder.