# Telehealth vs In-Person Outpatient Mental Health Service Use and Spending Among Medicare Beneficiaries From 2019 to 2023

## TL;DR

The study compares telehealth and in-person mental health service use and spending for several conditions among Medicare beneficiaries from 2019 to 2023.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into how telehealth use and spending changed for mental health conditions during and after the pandemic.

## Key findings

- Telehealth utilization increased during the pandemic for mental health conditions.
- Spending patterns shifted toward telehealth services during the pandemic.
- Post-pandemic trends show a partial return to in-person services.

## Abstract

This cross-sectional study identifies patterns of telehealth utilization and spending for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and posttraumatic stress disorder before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.