Americans value the convenience and simplicity of telehealth

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (December 1, 2022) – Every day, telehealth delivers convenient access to affordable, high-quality care to help meet the nation’s growing demand for health care services.  Today, AHIP released a new survey fielded by NORC at the University of Chicago which illustrates how Americans think and feel about telehealth.  According to the survey, respondents said using telehealth is more convenient than in-person appointments and makes it easier to seek out health care when needed.  An overwhelming majority of respondents also said that Congress should make permanent certain provisions that allow for coverage of telehealth services before paying their full deductible.

“Patients and providers accept – and often prefer – digital technologies as an essential part of health care delivery,” said Jeanette Thornton, Executive Vice President of Policy and Strategy at AHIP.  “Telehealth can be just as effective as in-person care for many conditions and allows patients to receive more services ‘where they are.’  That’s why health insurance providers are committed to strengthening and improving both access and use for the millions of Americans who use telehealth for their health care needs.”

NORC surveyed 1000 Americans on the AmeriSpeak® panel, 498 of whom have employer-provided or individual market coverage (commercially insured), about their telehealth use within the past year. Among the commercially insured who completed the survey, 40% used telehealth within the past year.  Key findings include:

• The majority of respondents said they use telehealth because it is more convenient than an in-person appointment (69%).

• Nearly 4 in 5 (78%) said telehealth made it easier for them to seek out health care when they need it.
• A strong majority - 85% - said there are an adequate number of medical providers available to them via telehealth for the health needs they have.

• More than half - 53% - used telehealth between 2 and 5 times over the past year.

• Nearly 3 in 4 (73%) said Congress should make permanent the provisions that allowed for coverage of telehealth services before paying their full deductible.

As health professionals and policymakers addressed the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state governments permitted several temporary waivers and flexibilities that expanded the use of telehealth. These waivers helped ensure that patients had access to care, even as health system capacity was strained, and providers struggled to meet patient needs. These new flexibilities resulted in improvements for both providers and patients.  Health insurance providers encourage policymakers at the federal and state levels to make telehealth design flexibilities permanent to allow for the continued convenience, access, and value they provide for Americans.

The survey was fielded in October 2022 by NORC at the University of Chicago on behalf of AHIP.  AmeriSpeak® Omnibus is a multi-client, quantitative survey instrument designed to collect data and deliver valuable insights quickly and affordably. The Omnibus survey is conducted bi-weekly among a national representative sample of 1000 adults aged 18 or older.

Click here to view the survey findings.