Medicare and telehealth — virtual visit coverage

Reviewed by the How To Help Your Elders Team | Updated March 2026

Medicare covers telehealth visits at the same copay as in-person appointments, including phone-only calls. Your parent does not need a computer, special software, or video capability to use virtual care. Coverage expanded permanently after the pandemic, and most specialists now offer it as a standard option.

Yes, Medicare Pays for Virtual Visits the Same Way It Pays for Office Visits

Your father's knees are acting up again. He called his orthopedist to schedule a follow-up, and the scheduler mentioned something about a virtual visit. He's not particularly tech-savvy. He doesn't own a computer. He has a smartphone, but he's not sure how to use it for a medical appointment. He's wondering if a phone call would work instead, and whether Medicare covers virtual visits the same way it covers in-person visits.

The answer is straightforward. Medicare covers doctor visits via video or phone at the same copay as in-person visits. If your parent's regular copay for a doctor visit is 20 percent of the approved amount, the copay for a telehealth visit is also 20 percent. If your parent has a Medigap plan that covers their copay in-person, it covers the copay for a virtual visit too. There's no additional charge for the "virtual" part. According to CMS, telehealth utilization among Medicare beneficiaries increased by over 60-fold during the pandemic, and the agency made many of those expanded flexibilities permanent through rulemaking in 2024 and 2025.

Many different types of specialists offer telehealth visits now. Your parent can see their primary care doctor, a cardiologist, psychiatrist, physical therapist, or dermatologist virtually. Some surgical specialists don't offer telehealth because a physical exam is needed before surgery, but the majority of specialists have figured out how to deliver their expertise through a screen.

Mental health visits work particularly well virtually. A psychiatrist or therapist doesn't need to physically examine your parent to discuss how they're feeling, what medication side effects they're experiencing, or whether treatment needs an adjustment. A KFF analysis found that mental health visits account for the largest share of telehealth use among Medicare beneficiaries, and many patients actually prefer therapy via video because the setting feels safer or more comfortable.

Coverage expanded significantly during the COVID pandemic and has largely remained in place. Before the pandemic, telehealth was limited mostly to rural areas where no doctors were available in person. CMS extended geographic flexibility through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, and Medicare now covers telehealth visits broadly whether your parent lives in a rural area or a city.

Which Visits Work Best Via Telehealth

Follow-up appointments for stable conditions are ideal for telehealth. Your father's knee appointment to check on his recovery from surgery is a good candidate. The orthopedist can ask how physical therapy is going, whether he's having pain, and how function has improved. The orthopedist might ask him to move his leg or walk across the room so recovery can be assessed visually. This is the kind of visit that works well without hands-on examination.

New diagnoses often require an in-person physical exam. If your parent has chest pain and calls the doctor, the doctor needs to listen to heart and lungs, check blood pressure, and feel the abdomen. These exams can't happen through a screen.

Psychiatry and behavioral health work well virtually because the visit is conversational. Your parent's psychiatrist can discuss mood, sleep, appetite, anxiety level, and whether medication is working. Prescriptions can be written after a virtual visit.

Pain management works well virtually if your parent is already established in the program. A follow-up with the pain specialist to discuss how the condition is progressing can happen from home. A first visit probably needs to be in-person so the doctor can do a full physical exam and understand the full picture.

Preventive care visits can happen virtually, though annual wellness visits sometimes benefit from face-to-face time. Your parent's doctor can discuss preventive health measures, update medications, and review recent test results during a virtual visit. Some doctors prefer doing annual wellness visits in-person for a full physical exam, but many now offer at least part of the wellness visit virtually.

Technology Requirements for Your Parent

A video visit requires a device with a camera. A laptop, tablet, or smartphone with a built-in camera all work. Many libraries offer computers with cameras if your parent doesn't have one at home.

A phone visit requires only a telephone. A cell phone or a home landline both work. This is the best option if your parent is uncomfortable with video technology or doesn't have reliable internet access.

Broadband internet is required for video visits. Most home internet connections are fast enough. Cell phone data works if signal quality is decent. If your parent's internet is slow and drops frequently, a phone visit is more reliable than fighting a choppy video connection.

Your parent should find a quiet place for the appointment. Background noise makes it harder for the doctor to hear clearly. If the living situation is loud, a phone call instead of video might be better.

Your parent shouldn't need to download an app or install special software in most cases. Most doctor's offices use platforms that work through a web browser. The office sends a link to click. When your parent clicks the link at the appointment time, the video connection opens and they can see and hear the doctor. If the technology isn't working, the doctor's office will help troubleshoot or reschedule as a phone visit.

Finding Doctors Who Offer Telehealth

Ask your parent's doctor whether they offer telehealth visits. When making an appointment, ask whether a virtual visit is available. Some doctors offer telehealth by default now, some only offer it for certain types of visits, and some don't offer it yet, though the number of doctors not offering telehealth keeps shrinking. According to Medicare.gov, most providers who participate in Medicare now include telehealth as an option for at least some appointment types.

Check the doctor's website. Most practice websites now have information about telehealth availability. Some let you select "virtual visit" when booking an appointment. If your parent's doctor's website doesn't mention telehealth, call the office and ask.

If your parent is looking for a new doctor and wants telehealth access, mention that in the search. Some practices actively market their telehealth availability. If your parent finds a doctor they like who doesn't currently offer it, ask if they plan to add it. The trend is clearly moving toward more telehealth, not less.

Making Telehealth Work for Your Parent

Help your parent set up the technology if they need help. If your parent has never done a video call, practice together first. Call using video on a smartphone or laptop. Let them learn how the technology works with you before the actual doctor's appointment. This practice run makes the real appointment less stressful.

Help your parent position the device so the doctor can see their face clearly. The device should be at eye level or slightly below, not looking up from the chin. The doctor needs to see facial expressions to assess general health, and your parent needs to see the doctor clearly too.

Make sure your parent can hear and be heard. Do a sound check. If your parent has hearing trouble, make sure the volume is high enough. Earbuds with a microphone can improve sound quality in both directions.

Have your parent prepare like they would for an in-person appointment. If they always bring a list of medications, bring the list to the virtual appointment. If they bring notes about symptoms or questions, bring those too. Current medications and their doses should be available in case the doctor asks.

When Telehealth Doesn't Replace In-Person Care

Your parent still needs in-person care for certain situations. An annual wellness visit benefits from a face-to-face encounter where the doctor can do a full physical exam, check blood pressure, listen to heart and lungs, and assess overall function. Medicare covers an annual wellness visit at no cost, and some doctors prefer doing this visit in-person. You can ask whether the visit can be partly virtual and partly in-person, or entirely virtual. Many doctors now offer flexibility.

Medication changes often need in-person monitoring. If the doctor is starting a new medication, they might want to do a baseline exam before it begins. Follow-up visits after starting the medication might need to happen in person to check for side effects and confirm the medication is working.

New symptoms deserve in-person evaluation. If your parent has a new problem, the doctor needs to examine them to figure out what's going on. A new symptom evaluation shouldn't happen via telehealth unless the doctor feels confident they can assess the situation without a hands-on exam.

Chronic disease management for complex conditions might need in-person visits too. If your parent has diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease together and those conditions are complicated, the primary care doctor might want regular in-person visits for a full assessment. Specialist visits might still be able to happen virtually, but primary care visits might need to be face-to-face.

The Practical Reality

Virtual visits are now a normal part of medical care. CMS data shows that telehealth use among Medicare beneficiaries has stabilized well above pre-pandemic levels, with millions of virtual visits processed each year. Your parent doesn't need to feel like virtual care is inferior or second-rate. Virtual care is legitimate medical care with the same coverage and the same quality standards as in-person care.

For routine follow-ups, virtual visits are often more convenient. Your parent doesn't need to arrange transportation, spend time driving, or sit in a waiting room. For someone who is chronically ill and has frequent appointments, this time and energy savings is meaningful.

Your parent should feel comfortable saying no to a virtual visit if they prefer in-person care, or if their situation requires a hands-on exam. Some doctors will offer a choice. Some doctors will insist that a particular visit needs to be in-person. Both are reasonable medical decisions.

What matters is that your parent now has options. Virtual care exists, Medicare covers it, and it's available through most doctors. Whether your parent chooses to use it is their decision. They don't have to worry that choosing virtual care will result in unexpected costs or lesser treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Medicare cover phone-only visits, or just video?
Medicare covers both. A phone-only visit (audio only, no video) is covered at the same copay as a video visit or an in-person visit. If your parent doesn't have internet or a camera, a regular phone call to the doctor counts as a telehealth visit and is fully covered.

Will my parent's Medigap or Medicare Advantage plan cover telehealth too?
Yes. If your parent has a Medigap plan, it covers the copay for telehealth visits the same way it covers in-person copays. If your parent has a Medicare Advantage plan, telehealth coverage is included, though the specific copay depends on the plan. Check the plan's Summary of Benefits for the exact telehealth copay amount.

Can my parent get prescriptions from a telehealth visit?
Yes. Doctors can prescribe medications after a telehealth visit, including refills and new prescriptions. The prescription is sent electronically to the pharmacy the same way it would be after an in-person visit.

Are there limits on how many telehealth visits Medicare covers per year?
No annual limit exists for the number of telehealth visits Medicare will cover. Your parent can use telehealth as often as their doctor recommends it. The coverage is the same whether it's the first virtual visit of the year or the tenth.

What if my parent's doctor doesn't offer telehealth?
If your parent's current doctor doesn't offer telehealth, they can ask whether the practice plans to add it. If telehealth access is important, they can also look for a new doctor who offers virtual visits. Medicare.gov's provider directory can help identify doctors in your parent's area who accept Medicare and offer telehealth appointments.