Medicaid Beneficiaries Less Likely to Access SUD Services Via Telehealth

Behavioral Health Business February 25, 2025
Laura Lovett

Medicaid beneficiaries are less likely to use telehealth to access substance use disorder care than their counterparts enrolled in Medicare Advantage or commercial insurance.

According to new research published in JAMA, Medicaid beneficiaries represent 93.2% of all substance use disorder treatment visits, yet they account for only 75% of telehealth services for SUD treatments.

Meanwhile, commercially insured patients account for 6.4% of overall SUD treatments, but 24% of telehealth SUD treatments.

Telehealth usage for SUD care rose for rural populations. Researchers found that rural patients make up for 8.1% of all SUD telehealth visits and 6.4% of all SUD treatment visits.

“Medicaid-covered individuals were underrepresented within telehealth SUDT utilization, with overall [substance use disorder treatment] SUDT declining,” authors of the...

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