Taking care of your health can take a lot of time. Driving to doctor’s appointments, spending time in the waiting room, sitting in the exam room – all of those minutes taken from your day can add up.

Fortunately, telehealth is making it quicker and easier to see doctors and specialists through a computer, tablet or smartphone. Also known as telemedicine, virtual visits or video visits, telehealth appointments feature the same high degree of care, guidance and expertise from a health care professional that you can get in an office visit. But instead of traveling for face-to-face care, you can get it from the comfort of your home, apartment or wherever you may be.

Below, we’ll describe what telehealth is, what services it covers and how it works – as well as how it’s covered by Medicare. We’ll also describe how to know if telehealth is covered by your Medicare plan now and in the future.

Telehealth: What it is and the benefits

Telehealth can be described as patients using technology to visit doctors and specialists online. Many rural and remote areas use telehealth to connect patients in local clinics to health care professionals in larger cities. Even before 2020, some clinics and hospitals had already rolled out telehealth access for patients.

But the COVID-19 pandemic put telehealth firmly in the spotlight, making it safe and convenient for many to access health care without leaving the house. Now, telehealth has become routine for many, no matter their age or where they live.

And it’s easy to see why: The flexibility that telehealth offers can save plenty of time, not to mention the money saved from traveling. Plus, many doctors and specialists have added telehealth as a standard visit option, which means that you don’t have to see someone new to get the convenience of a virtual visit.

Types of appointments and services you can access with telehealth

The good news is that most services that you get from a doctor at a clinic can also be done through a video visit. For example,

• Primary care – Consultations for common illnesses and injuries, managing chronic conditions, preventive care (including hybrid preventive care), medication check-ins, general health concerns like nutrition, sleep, weight management, exercise plans and more.
• Urgent care – When you need fast help with cold and flu symptoms, allergies, skin issues, back pain and other bothersome health problems that need help from a doctor.
• OB-GYN care – Covering women’s health care, including menopause care and sexual health.
• Specialty care – Initial, follow-up and condition management visits for allergies, cardiology, urology, neurology, oncology, behavioral health and more.

Basically, any kind of care that doesn’t require an in-person exam, screening (like an X-ray), lab test or procedure can be done through a virtual visit.

How to use virtual visits

It’s easy to get started with telemedicine. When you’re making your next appointment with a doctor, ask if a virtual or video visit is possible. If you’re scheduling your appointment online, you might also be presented with a virtual visit option.

Once you make your first virtual visit appointment, you may be sent a consent form to fill out and sign, likely by email or through your online account. As the day of your virtual visit approaches, you’ll also be sent a notification to check in online, which can include additional appointment-specific forms that need to be completed and a way to pay your copay, if necessary. You’ll also receive instructions on how to access your virtual visit through your smartphone, tablet or computer – usually, it’s with a web browser like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Safari.

A few hours before your visit, check to make sure your device is fully charged, working and ready to go. Settle in to a quiet, well-lit location, connect to Wi-Fi if you can, put on your headphones and, a few minutes before your visit, you’ll get an email or text with a special link. Click this secure link when it’s time for your appointment, and you’ll be set to go.

Does Medicare cover telehealth?

The short answer is yes, at least until Dec. 31, 2024. After that, it may depend on your Medicare plan.

Currently, telehealth visits are accepted, billed and covered the same as in-person visits. So, for those with Original Medicare, once the Part B deductible is reached, Medicare covers telehealth services at 80%, leaving the remaining 20% to be paid out of pocket. Medicare Advantage plans are similar, but details can vary from plan to plan.

Currently, nearly all Medicare Advantage plans offer a telehealth benefit. And, seeing how most care providers have integrated telehealth into their offerings, it looks like that coverage might be here to stay, even after 2024 wraps up. Just check your plan benefits to see how telehealth is currently covered for you.

However, if you have Original Medicare, your access to telehealth may become significantly limited starting on Jan. 1, 2025. Starting on that date, you’ll only be covered for telehealth services from an office or medical facility in a rural area. There are some exceptions, including visits for home dialysis, stroke care, substance use disorder, mental health and behavioral health.

Using telehealth for your Medicare Annual Wellness Visit

If you’re thinking that your Medicare Annual Wellness Visit would be a perfect opportunity to try telehealth, you’re right – like an in-person visit, a virtual Medicare Annual Wellness Visit comes at no cost to you.

There’s nothing special that you need to do that you wouldn’t do normally. When you’re making your appointment, just confirm that you’re seeing the doctor for a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit to make sure that you won’t be charged.

Medicare and telehealth – keeping track of yearly changes

Medicare plans can have some notable changes from year to year. How your plan can cover telehealth is no different. If your plan currently covers telehealth, check out your plan’s Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) when it arrives before Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period begins each year.

The ANOC will detail any changes to your current Medicare plan, including changes to premiums, costs and covered services like telehealth. Watch for your ANOC to arrive in the mail or become available online on Sept. 30 of each year before annual enrollment begins on Oct. 15.