Telemedicine use was reported by 37.0% of U.S. adults in 2021 and 30.1% in 2022. The available national figures also show meaningful differences by age, insurance, income, education, race and ethnicity, geography, and metropolitan status. Medicare data from 2020 through 2023 adds a separate view of telehealth service use among eligible beneficiaries.
Contents
- National telemedicine use
- Use by age and sex
- Race, ethnicity, income, and education
- Regional and metropolitan differences
- Insurance-related differences
- Medicare telehealth trends
National telemedicine use
The CDC National Health Statistics Reports No. 205 recorded telemedicine use during the previous 12 months among U.S. adults. The measure was 37.0% in 2021 and 30.1% in 2022. These are survey-year estimates, not a forecast of future use and not a count of visits.
The two annual estimates provide a broad national benchmark for nurse practitioner practices, health systems, and researchers comparing access to remote care. They also show why the year attached to a statistic matters: a national percentage without a measurement year does not identify the same level of use.
The CDC report’s subgroup estimates show that the change between 2021 and 2022 was not uniform. The available figures below describe the share of adults in each named group who used telemedicine during the past 12 months.
Use by age and sex
Women reported higher telemedicine use than men in both years. The CDC National Health Statistics Reports No. 205 reported use among women at 42.0% in 2021 and 33.8% in 2022. Among men, the corresponding figures were 31.7% and 26.3%.
Age patterns also varied. Adults ages 18–29 had use rates of 29.4% in 2021 and 26.1% in 2022. For adults ages 30–44, the figures were 35.3% and 31.1%. Adults ages 45–64 reported 38.9% in 2021 and 31.6% in 2022. Adults ages 65 and older reported 43.3% and 30.6%.
| U.S. adult group | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 31.7% | 26.3% |
| Women | 42.0% | 33.8% |
| Ages 18–29 | 29.4% | 26.1% |
| Ages 30–44 | 35.3% | 31.1% |
| Ages 45–64 | 38.9% | 31.6% |
| Ages 65 and older | 43.3% | 30.6% |
In 2021, the highest listed age-group estimate was 43.3% among adults 65 and older, while the lowest was 29.4% among adults ages 18–29. In 2022, the highest listed age-group estimate was 31.6% among adults ages 45–64, and the lowest was 26.1% among adults ages 18–29. These comparisons use the CDC’s reported percentages and do not imply that age alone explains the differences.
Race, ethnicity, income, and education
The CDC report included estimates for racial and ethnic groups. Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native adults reported telemedicine use of 40.6% in 2021 and 30.1% in 2022. Non-Hispanic Asian adults reported 33.0% and 29.5%. Non-Hispanic Black adults reported 33.1% and 27.4%.
Non-Hispanic White adults reported 39.2% in 2021 and 31.5% in 2022. Hispanic adults reported 32.8% and 26.7%. The categories and labels are retained as reported by the CDC source.
Family income was reported relative to the federal poverty level, or FPL. Adults with family income below 100% of FPL had use rates of 33.1% in 2021 and 27.6% in 2022. The rates for adults at 100% to less than 200% of FPL were 32.1% and 26.2%. For 200% to less than 400% of FPL, they were 35.8% and 28.0%. For 400% of FPL or more, they were 40.7% and 33.7%.
Education levels showed a similar spread in the reported estimates. Adults with less than a high school diploma or GED had rates of 28.7% in 2021 and 21.9% in 2022. Adults with a high school diploma or GED had rates of 30.3% and 23.9%. Adults with some college had rates of 39.0% and 31.9%. Adults with a college degree or higher had rates of 43.2% and 36.4%.
Across the listed education categories, the highest reported rate was for adults with a college degree or higher in both years. Across the listed income categories, the highest was for adults with family income at 400% of FPL or more in both years. These are descriptive comparisons of the CDC estimates, not measures of causation.
Regional and metropolitan differences
The CDC National Health Statistics Reports No. 205 also reported use by U.S. region. Adults in the Northeast had rates of 40.0% in 2021 and 34.6% in 2022. The Midwest had rates of 33.3% and 26.7%. The South had rates of 34.3% and 26.1%. The West had rates of 42.4% and 36.3%.
Among the four listed regions, the West had the highest estimate in both years. The South had the lowest in 2022, while the Midwest had the lowest in 2021. A regional statistic describes a broad geography and should not be treated as a patient-level estimate for every state or community within that region.
The metropolitan-status figures show a wider range. Adults in large central metropolitan areas reported 40.3% in 2021 and 34.2% in 2022. Large fringe metropolitan areas reported 40.2% and 33.1%. Medium metropolitan areas reported 35.4% and 29.6%. Small metropolitan areas reported 32.4% and 23.4%.
Adults in micropolitan areas reported 30.5% in 2021 and 21.6% in 2022. Adults in noncore areas reported 27.5% and 19.6%. Among the listed metropolitan categories, the 2022 estimates ranged from 34.2% in large central metropolitan areas to 19.6% in noncore areas.
Insurance-related differences
For adults ages 18–64 with private insurance, the CDC reported telemedicine use of 37.5% in 2021 and 31.8% in 2022. Adults ages 18–64 with public insurance had rates of 39.3% and 34.7%. Adults ages 18–64 who were uninsured had rates of 14.0% and 11.1%.
The insurance figures are specific to adults ages 18–64 and should not be compared with the all-adult national estimates as though they represented the same population. Within this age range, the reported uninsured rate was lower than the private- and public-insurance rates in both years.
The report separately described adults age 65 and older by coverage category. Adults in this age group with private insurance had telemedicine use of 42.4% in 2021 and 29.7% in 2022. Those with Medicare and Medicaid had rates of 46.6% and 36.0%. Those with Medicare Advantage had rates of 44.5% and 30.8%. Those with Medicare only had rates of 37.1% and 25.4%.
Among the listed coverage groups for adults age 65 and older, Medicare and Medicaid had the highest reported rate in both years. Medicare only had the lowest reported rate in both years. The source’s coverage categories are not interchangeable, so each percentage should be read with its exact eligibility description.
Medicare telehealth trends
The CMS Medicare Telehealth Trends Report provides counts and rates for Medicare telehealth-eligible users, rather than the broader CDC survey measure. In 2020, CMS reported 30,946,785 telehealth-eligible users, 14,826,919 telehealth users, and 48% of Medicare users with a telehealth service. The corresponding 2021 figures were 29,967,346 eligible users, 10,249,756 telehealth users, and 34%. In 2022, they were 28,885,208, 8,503,157, and 29%. In 2023, they were 27,749,896, 6,884,205, and 25%.
| Medicare year | Telehealth-eligible users | Telehealth users | Users with a telehealth service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 30,946,785 | 14,826,919 | 48% |
| 2021 | 29,967,346 | 10,249,756 | 34% |
| 2022 | 28,885,208 | 8,503,157 | 29% |
| 2023 | 27,749,896 | 6,884,205 | 25% |
CMS also reported quarterly results. In the first quarter of 2020, 23,992,421 users were telehealth eligible, 1,665,085 were telehealth users, and the telehealth service rate was 7%. In the second quarter, the figures were 21,985,383, 10,262,248, and 47%. In the third quarter, they were 24,025,610, 6,762,255, and 28%. In the fourth quarter, they were 23,859,981, 6,633,025, and 28%.
For 2021, CMS reported 22,893,082 eligible users, 6,163,853 telehealth users, and a 27% service rate in the first quarter. The second quarter had 23,389,566 eligible users, 4,298,714 telehealth users, and an 18% rate. The third quarter had 23,602,154, 3,822,635, and 16%. The fourth quarter had 23,539,469, 3,716,289, and 16%.
In 2022, the first quarter included 22,462,104 eligible users, 4,222,546 telehealth users, and a 19% service rate. The second quarter included 22,811,030, 3,453,893, and 15%. The third quarter included 22,779,905, 3,401,289, and 15%. The fourth quarter included 22,792,204, 3,374,471, and 15%.
The 2023 quarterly figures were 21,943,370 eligible users, 3,243,434 telehealth users, and a 15% service rate in the first quarter; 22,134,043, 2,841,411, and 13% in the second quarter; 21,874,105, 2,732,846, and 12% in the third quarter; and 21,883,731, 2,783,159, and 13% in the fourth quarter.
The CMS annual and quarterly series measure Medicare populations and services, while the CDC figures measure U.S. adults reporting telemedicine use during the previous 12 months. Their percentages therefore answer different questions and should be cited with the source, population, and period attached.