BY HALEY MCLEOD
Reasons physicians cited for a slight decrease in telemedicine visits The number of physicians conducting telemedicine visits has remained the same, but the number of visits declined slightly, according to a Texas Medical Association 2025 survey.
Another angle
Food for thought
Alternatively, Dr. Mark Ambler, associate medi- cal director for primary care and family medicine physician at Austin Regional Clinic in Southwest Austin, said that increasingly more patients are wanting to be seen in-person. “I’d say about 10% of our visits are telehealth right now—it’s a relatively small number com- pared to where we were four years ago. But most people are wanting to come back in,” Ambler said. Ambler explained that telehealth can be a “convenient” tool for both the patient and the provider, especially when trying to be seen for minor issues quickly, but that sometimes being seen in person is necessary. “[When] somebody does a telehealth visit for ear pain. I really don’t know what to do with that. If I can’t examine their ear, it’s really hard to figure out what’s going on,” he said. A survey conducted by the Texas Medical Association in January found the top reasons for the roughly 9% decline in telehealth visits over the past two years was due to patients’ prefer- ence to be seen in-office as well as technological limitations. “I don’t generally like it for something like a primary care visit, having a cold or something like that. I just feel more comfortable [being seen] in person, especially just knowing that there might be a follow-up test that I’ll have to go in-person for anyway,” Dinoff said. For certain symptoms—such as those of strep throat, which may require an in-person throat swab test to determine care needed—patients are often better served by coming in-person for an office visit, Mukkamala said.
Telehealth visits are often reimbursed by insurance companies at around 85% of a regular visit after the federal COVID-19 public health emergency ended in 2023, Ambler said, adding that these rates are still much higher than pre-pandemic. Reimbursement rates affect both how much the doctor is paid for providing the service and how much a patient is liable for. However, actual rates can fluctuate between different policy optimistic that, in time, payment for telehealth services would reach a more equitable and consistent level. Several bills were introduced during the recent state legislative session that could have had a future impact on telemedicine access. However, only House Bill 1052, which will extend insurance coverage of telehealth services from out-of-state providers with Texas certifications, has been approved by both the House and Senate and now awaits a signature from the governor on June 22, after press time. types and coverage providers. Gonzalez Montoya remained For patients with recurring needs for follow-up care, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin found that telehealth visits can reduce the number of future outpatient visits for several chronic diseases by roughly 14%, equal to a reduction of $239 in total cost within a month after an emergency room visit.
Patients prefer in-person visits
48%
Technological limitations
38%
Other
35%
Concerns about meeting the standard of care
33%
Telemedicine visits not covered at the same rates
21 %
Doctors already conducting as many visits as possible virtually
10 %
Insufficient broadband 2%
SOURCE: TEXAS MEDICAL ASSOCIATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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