Seventy-three percent of insured individuals want Congress to make coverage for telehealth services permanent, according to a report by AHIP.
AHIP and researchers from NORC at the University of Chicago surveyed 498 commercially insured individuals in the U.S. on their opinions of telehealth from Oct. 21-23. Results were published in AHIP's "Surveys of Telehealth Use by Commercial Insurance Enrollees" on Dec. 1.
Here are five key takeaways from the report:
- Forty percent of respondents said they have used telehealth services since October 2021.
- Sixty percent of respondents said they are satisfied with the care they received from virtual care.
- Seventy-eight percent of individuals said telehealth made care more accessible and 69 percent said it was more convenient.
- Eighty-five percent of participants said they felt satisfied with the amount of providers offering telehealth services for their specific needs.
- Respondents said some of the top factors in them seeking out virtual care were that they were unable to find an in-person appointment, to save money compared to an in-person visit and to access care while physicians' offices were closed.
More than 100 healthcare organizations also support the creation of permanent telehealth policies, according to a letter sent to federal authorities in November.