In June 2022, after two months of growth, national telehealth utilization fell 3.7 percent, from 5.4 percent of medical claim lines in May to 5.2 percent in June, according to FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker.

Declines also occurred in the Northeast (4.8 percent) and South (2.4 percent), but there was an increase in telehealth utilization of 2.9 percent in the West and no change in the Midwest. The data represent the privately insured population, including Medicare Advantage and excluding Medicare Fee-for-Service and Medicaid.

In June 2022, COVID-19 maintained the same ranking among the top five telehealth diagnoses that it held in May, both nationally and in every US census region. It ranked at number two nationally and in every region but the South, where it ranked at number three. This stability contrasted with the period from April to May, when COVID-19 climbed in the rankings nationally and in every region except the Northeast, where it remained stable.

Certain other diagnoses shifted in the rankings in June 2022. For example, from May to June, developmental disorders and joint/soft tissue diseases and issues traded places nationally, with the latter ending in fourth place and the former in fifth place. Similarly, skin infections and issues and urinary tract infections traded places in the South, with the latter ending in fourth place and the former in fifth place.

From May to June 2022, in the West, psychologist fell from fourth to fifth place in the list of top five telehealth specialties, switching places with primary care nonphysician.

In June 2022, the rankings of the top five telehealth procedure codes did not change nationally or in any region when compared to the prior four months. The number one telehealth procedure code nationally and in every region remained CPT®2 90837, one-hour psychotherapy.

For June 2022, the Telehealth Cost Corner spotlighted the cost of CPT 90836, 45-minute psychotherapy with evaluation and management visit. Nationally, the median charge amount for this service when rendered via telehealth was $180.72, and the median allowed amount was $111.81.3

Launched in May 2020 as a free service, the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker uses FAIR Health data to track how telehealth is evolving from month to month. An interactive map of the four US census regions allows the user to view an infographic on telehealth in a specific month in the nation as a whole or in individual regions. Each infographic shows month-to-month changes in telehealth’s percentage of medical claim lines, as well as that month’s top five telehealth procedure codes, diagnoses and specialties.

Additionally, in the Telehealth Cost Corner, a specific telehealth procedure code is featured, with its median charge amount and median allowed amount.

FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated: “We welcome sharing these varying windows into telehealth utilization as it continues to evolve. This is one of the many ways we pursue our healthcare transparency mission.”