Telehealth
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers certain telehealth services.
Your costs in Original Medicare
After you meet the Part B deductible , you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for your doctor or other health care provider's services.
For most telehealth services, you'll pay the same amount that you would if you got the services in person.
Find out cost
To find out how much your test, item, or service will cost, talk to your doctor or health care provider. The specific amount you’ll owe may depend on several things, like:
- Other insurance you may have
- How much your doctor charges
- If your doctor accepts assignment
- The type of facility
- Where you get your test, item, or service
What it is
Telehealth includes certain medical or health services that you get from your doctor or other health care provider (including, through December 31, 2024, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists) who's located elsewhere (or in the U.S.) using audio and video communications technology (or audio-only telehealth services in some cases), like your phone or a computer. You can get many of the same services that usually occur in-person as telehealth services, like psychotherapy and office visits.
Through December 31, 2024, you can get telehealth services at any location in the U.S., including your home. After this period, you must be in an office or medical facility located in a rural area (in the U.S.) for most telehealth services.
After December 31, 2024, you'll still be able to get certain Medicare telehealth services without being in a rural health care setting, including:
- Monthly End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) visits for home dialysis.
- Services for diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of symptoms of an acute stroke wherever you are, including in a mobile stroke unit.
- Services to treat a substance use disorder or a co-occurring mental health disorder (sometimes called a "dual disorder"), or for the diagnosis, evaluation or treatment of a mental health disorder, including in your home.
- Behavioral health services, including in your home.
- Diabetes self-management training.
- Medicare nutrition therapy.
Things to know
Medicare Advantage Plans and some providers, like ones who are part of certain Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may offer more telehealth benefits than Original Medicare. For example, you may be able to get some services from home, no matter where in the U.S. you live. Check with your plan to find out what benefits they offer. If your provider participates in an ACO, check with them to find out what telehealth benefits might be available.