Quick Summary
This blog gives you the latest telehealth statistics for 2026. It covers who uses telehealth, which medical specialties use it the most, how big the market is, what patients think, and the new rules coming in 2026 and 2027.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Ask three sources how many Americans use telehealth, and you will receive three different answers; none of which are incorrect. The only problem is that each source measures different things, and blogs often do not describe what these numbers represent.
This matters more than ever now because telehealth has entered a new phase. Usage has stabilized after the rapid growth during the pandemic, while reimbursement policies and prescribing rules continue to change.
Healthcare providers, payers, and digital health companies now need reliable data to make informed business and technology decisions.
This guide brings together more than 40 verified U.S. telehealth statistics from trusted sources, including FAIR Health, CMS, Epic Research, the AMA, KFF, Rock Health, and others.
Along with the latest numbers, you’ll also learn what telehealth market statistics measure, why different reports often disagree, and what the upcoming 2026 and 2027 policy changes mean for the future of virtual care.
Telehealth Statistics 2026: Key Numbers at a Glance
Here are the most important telehealth statistics for 2026. These telehealth adoption statistics highlight how Americans are using virtual care, how adoption is changing, and the key policy deadlines shaping its future.
Telehealth made up 5.51% of U.S. commercial medical claim lines in Q1 2026, up from 5.01% the quarter before. That is a 10.1% increase. (FAIR Health)
Around 33% of U.S. adults, about 88.9 million people, are expected to use telehealth in 2026. (eMarketer)
52.1% of telehealth patients received a mental health diagnosis in Q1 2026. It was the top diagnostic category in every age group and every U.S. region. (FAIR Health)
Telehealth has held between 6% and 7% of all primary care visits since mid-2023. (Epic Research)
Current DEA rules for prescribing controlled medicines through telehealth are valid until December 31, 2026. After that, new permanent rules are expected, including patient ID checks and reporting to the DEA. (Federal Register)
Medicare telehealth flexibilities remain in effect through December 31, 2027, unless Congress extends them again. (HHS)
71.4% of physicians were in practices using telehealth weekly in 2024, up from 25.1% in 2018 but down from the 79% peak in 2020. (AMA)
Medicare telehealth use ranged from 24.2% in California to 5.0% in Iowa in Q2 2025, a near fivefold spread. (Urban Institute)
Why Every Telehealth Report Gives a Different Number
You’ll see telehealth statistics where usage is reported as 5.51%, 6%, 12.5%, 18.4%, 33% or 44%. None are wrong. Each counts something different. Here are four questions to ask before trusting any telehealth number.
1. Does it count patients or visits?
- 5.51% = telehealth’s share of commercial medical claim lines, Q1 2026
- 18.4% = share of those same patients who had at least one telehealth visit
The same database gives different results because one number counts visits, while the other counts people. (FAIR Health)
2. Which patients are included?
No source covers the whole country.
FAIR Health tracks telehealth claims from private insurance. It only includes people with employer or marketplace health plans. It does not include Medicare or Medicaid patients.
KFF uses Medicare data, so it only covers Medicare patients. Most are 65 or older, but it also includes some younger people with long-term disabilities or end-stage kidney disease.
Epic looks at patient visits recorded by health systems running its software. Its study included 411 million primary care visits, but many healthcare providers use other systems, so it does not cover every clinic.
A low number means that group uses telehealth less, not that telehealth is small.
3. Is it claims data or a survey?
Earlier claims data says 18.4% of patients used telehealth. A 2024 Deloitte survey says 44% of adults did.
Both count people, so why the gap? Two reasons. FAIR Health looked at three months. Deloitte asked about the past 12 months, and a longer window always gives a bigger number.
Also, a claim only exists if someone sent a bill. A survey just asks people to remember. Someone might count a quick nurse call as a virtual visit, even though no one ever billed it as telehealth.
Surveys tell you what people think they did. Claims tell you what got paid for. (Deloitte, July 2024)
4. Which kind of virtual care counts?
Not every type of virtual care is included in telehealth numbers. Home health monitoring is counted separately. Online healthcare services like Hims & Hers and Ro are often not included in hospital or insurance data.
Which number should you use?
How many people use telehealth → 18.4%, 33%, 44%
How much care is delivered virtually → 5.51%, 6%
Comparing two numbers → check they count the same thing first
Before comparing telehealth statistics, make sure they measure the same population, time period, and type of data.
How Many Americans Actually Use Telehealth
The latest telehealth statistics show that telehealth use varies depending on how it is measured. Nationally, it accounts for about 6% of primary care visits, but usage differs across insurance plans, locations, and patient groups. Here’s what the latest data shows.
National Telehealth Use
Telehealth is now a regular part of primary care. It has held at 6% to 7% of primary care visits since mid-2023, and was just under 6% in October 2025. (Epic Research, 2026)
Telehealth Use by Insurance
Commercial insurance patients use telehealth more. 18.4% had a telehealth claim in Q1 2026, up from 17.3% in the previous quarter. (FAIR Health)
Medicare patients use telehealth less than commercially insured patients. 12.5% of all eligible traditional Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth in Q2 2025. (KFF)
Telehealth use was much higher among people who had both Medicare and Medicaid. About 22% used telehealth, compared with 10.8% of people who had only Medicare. This higher use increased the overall average. (Urban Institute, February 2026)
Telehealth Use by Location
Patients in metropolitan areas consistently had about twice the rate of primary care telehealth use as patients in rural communities. (Epic Research)
Telehealth was less available in rural areas. In 2022, 57% of Medicare patients in the most rural areas and 51% in rural areas near cities said their provider offered telehealth, compared with 69% in urban areas. (KFF)
Telehealth Use by Health Condition
Patients with serious health conditions use telehealth the most. Across full-year 2024, an annual rather than quarterly rate, 37% of Medicare patients with end-stage renal disease and 36% of those with long-term disabilities used telehealth, compared with 23% of those who qualified by age. (KFF, March 2026)
Overall, these telehealth usage statistics show that telehealth use varies by insurance, location, and health condition, but it remains an important part of healthcare across the U.S.
Which Specialties Use Telehealth the Most
Telehealth use is now common among doctors, but some specialties use it much more than others. The latest telehealth statistics come from the AMA’s 2024 survey, published in December 2025. The survey runs every two years, so this is the current picture.
Psychiatrists use telehealth the most. 85.9% of psychiatrists had a video visit in the previous week, the highest among all specialties. (AMA)
Psychiatrists also provide the most virtual care. 68.2% of psychiatrists conducted more than 20% of their weekly visits through telehealth, compared with 15.7% of all physicians. (AMA)
By that same measure, the next heaviest users are: Neurology (32.2%), Endocrinology (24.2%), Gastroenterology (20.4%), Family and general medicine (20.1%), Urology (18.7%). (AMA)
Specialties that require physical examinations use telehealth the least. These include ophthalmology, dermatology, emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, and anesthesiology. (AMA)
Medicare billing confirms the survey and shows how small telehealth still is in dollar terms. Across all physicians, just 3.7% of telehealth-eligible spending was billed as telehealth in 2024. (AMA)
Behavioral health uses more telehealth than primary care. In Medicare, 44% of behavioral health visits were virtual, compared with 9% of primary care visits. (University of Michigan) January 2026.
Telehealth Market Size 2026: U.S. and Global Forecasts
The latest telehealth statistics on market size vary because different research firms measure different things. Some count only telehealth services, while others also include software, remote monitoring, medical devices, and other digital health products.
Global Market Forecasts
Grand View Research estimates the global telehealth market at $87.7 billion in 2026. It expects the market to reach $187.5 billion by 2033, growing at an 11.5% CAGR. (Grand View Research)
Fortune Business Insights gives a much higher estimate. It values the global market at $219.31 billion in 2026 and expects it to reach $1.27 trillion by 2034, growing at a 24.60% CAGR. (Fortune Business Insights)
The difference between these forecasts reflects how each firm defines the telehealth market rather than a disagreement about industry growth.
U.S. Telehealth Market
The U.S. telehealth services market is much smaller. IBISWorld estimates actual U.S. telehealth service revenue at $36.1 billion in 2026, with 3.5% growth this year and 4.7% average yearly growth since 2021. (IBISWorld, 2026)
Regional Growth
Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region. It is expected to grow faster than any other region through 2033. (Grand View, June 2026)
North America has the largest share of the global market. It accounts for 45.2% of the global telehealth market in 2025. (Grand View, June 2026)
What Do Patients Think About Telehealth
National satisfaction data is thin. The strongest recent US figures come from the VA, which surveys its telehealth users annually and consistently reports high scores.
The latest data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shows that 92.5% of veterans have been satisfied with their telehealth care so far in FY2026.
Between October 2025 and April 2026, 2.3 million veterans took part in more than 8.7 million episodes of telehealth care. The VA expects patient satisfaction to improve for the sixth consecutive year. (VA News)
Overall, the data suggests that telehealth has become a trusted option for millions of patients, particularly when it offers faster access to care without compromising the quality of the healthcare experience.
Ready to Build a Telehealth Platform That Survives Future Policy Shifts?
Our telemedicine app development services help you launch HIPAA-compliant virtual care built around current reimbursement rules and ready for what changes next.
What Telehealth Rules Are Changing in 2026 and 2027
The latest telehealth statistics show that policy changes will continue to shape virtual care over the next few years. Here’s a timeline of the most important Medicare telehealth updates.
The Medicare work GPCI floor, which lifts payments across 50+ localities including rural ones, is scheduled to end on December 31, 2026. (CodingIntel)
Medicare telehealth rules remain in effect through December 31, 2027. On January 1, 2028, most patients will again need to be in a rural area and inside a medical facility to use telehealth, unless Congress extends the flexibilities again. (HHS)
Hospices can use telehealth for the face-to-face recertification visit through the end of 2027. (Medical Economics)
From January 1, 2028, mental health telehealth patients will need an in-person visit within six months before their first online session, and one every 12 months after that. (CMS)
Rules that are now permanent (since January 1, 2026)
Medicare permanently removed limits on how often patients can receive telehealth visits in hospitals and nursing homes. (CMS)
Doctors can now supervise staff remotely through live video, but audio-only supervision is not allowed. (CMS)
Every service on Medicare’s telehealth list is now permanent. The old “provisional” label is gone. (CMS)
Teaching doctors can supervise residents by video at any training site, not just rural ones. (AMA)
Mental health telehealth at home is permanent, and audio-only visits stay allowed when a patient cannot use video or does not agree to it. (Medical Economics)
Medicare now pays $31.85 per telehealth visit to the site where the patient sits, up from $31.01. (Holland & Knight)
Long-term policy
Hospital-at-home care under the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver runs through September 30, 2030. CMS will stop accepting new waiver applications after September 1, 2030. (CMS)
Top 5 Telehealth Trends 2026–2027: What the Data Signals Next
The latest telehealth statistics show that virtual care is becoming more stable. The next two years will focus more on who uses telehealth and why. Here are five trends to watch.
1. Commercial telehealth use is growing again after remaining relatively stable for nearly two years. FAIR Health reported a 10.1% quarter-over-quarter increase in Q1 2026, suggesting demand is continuing to recover. (FAIR Health)
2. Rural telehealth grew faster than urban in Q1 2026, but the gap is still wide. 18.6% of urban patients used telehealth, against 10.3% of rural patients, nearly double. FAIR Health classifies urban and rural on a different basis than its national figure. (FAIR Health)
3. Weight loss is moving up the list of telehealth reasons. Obesity is now the third most common reason people use telehealth, up from fifth place when it first appeared in 2024. It has gone from occasional to steady. (FAIR Health)
4. AI health chatbot use has doubled in a year. 32% of US adults asked an AI chatbot a health question, up from 16%. But only 5% used a chatbot made by their own doctor or hospital; most went to tools like ChatGPT instead. (Rock Health)
5. Wearable ownership keeps climbing. 46% of US adults now own one, up from 13% ten years ago, and 57% own at least one connected device. But owners are still mostly younger, richer, urban, and commercially insured. (Rock Health)
These telehealth statistics highlight the biggest trends shaping virtual care in 2026 and 2027.
How Bacancy Can Assist You With Telehealth App Development
The latest telehealth statistics we explored above highlighted the growing need for secure and reliable virtual care. At Bacancy Technology, we offer Telemedicine app development services to help you build a platform that is ready for these changes. Here’s how we help you:
Help you get ready for the new e-prescribing rules by adding ID verification, prescription checks, and audit logs so your platform is prepared before the DEA rules change.
Prepare for the 2028 Medicare changes. We build billing logic that can identify which telehealth visits are covered and which are not if the current Medicare rules end.
Build for mental health care. Our team adds features such as recurring appointments, PHQ-9 screening, therapy notes, and longer session support.
Add remote patient monitoring (RPM). RPM uses separate billing codes, so it can continue to bring revenue even if telehealth reimbursement changes.
Check provider licenses by state so the platform can confirm the patient’s location before booking to make sure the provider is licensed to treat them there.
We add audio backup and low-data video so patients can stay connected even if their internet is weak.
Build security and integrations from day one. We include HIPAA-ready architecture, HL7 and FHIR integration with Epic and Cerner, encrypted data, and audit logs as standard features.
Conclusion
Telehealth statistics show one clear trend: virtual care is becoming a regular part of healthcare, but its growth depends on changing regulations, reimbursement policies, and patient needs. Understanding these numbers helps healthcare organizations make better technology and business decisions.
Before you quote any telehealth number, check its denominator, population, and time window. Whether you are launching or improving a platform, a healthcare IT services provider can help you build secure, compliant, scalable telehealth solutions ready for what changes next.
FAQs
What is the difference between telehealth and telemedicine?
Telemedicine is an online visit between a doctor and a patient. Telehealth is a broader term. It includes telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, health education, and online consultations between healthcare providers. Many people use both terms the same way, but telehealth covers more services.
Can doctors prescribe controlled substances by telehealth?
Yes, until December 31, 2026. The DEA’s current rules let doctors prescribe without seeing the patient in person first. Permanent rules are expected to replace them, and those are likely to add patient ID checks and reporting to the DEA. (Federal Register)
Can a doctor treat me by telehealth if they are in another state?
Usually not. The doctor needs a license in the state where you are sitting during the visit, not the state they are in. Some states have agreements that make this easier. Ask the provider before you book.
Does insurance cover telehealth visits?
Usually, but it depends on your plan. Medicare covers telehealth from home through December 31, 2027. Most private plans cover it too, though your copay may differ from an in-person visit. Medicaid rules change by state. Check with your plan before you book.
Do telehealth visits cost less than in-person visits?
Often, but not always. Medicare pays doctors the same rate either way. Private plans vary, and some charge the same copay. The bigger savings are usually travel, parking, and time off work rather than the visit fee itself.
