UCLA Study Finds Telemedicine Expansion Did Not Increase Healthcare Usage or Costs

A UCLA-led study of over 3 million US adults found that the expansion of telemedicine during the COVID pandemic did not lead to large increases in medical care usage or spending, easing concerns about cost spikes but also showing no significant improvement in patient access. The study analyzed multi-payer medical claims data from MedInsight's database covering adults continuously enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service, Medicare Advantage, dual-eligible Medicaid, or commercial insurance from January 2019 through December 2023. Researchers found no significant changes in utilization or spending across any subgroups examined.