By the Numbers: 2 August 2021

By the Numbers: 2 August 2021

11 Million

The percentage of Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries "who accessed health care used telehealth for at least one appointment between October 2019 and October 2020," according to a Defense Health Agency report -- Telehealth Use Among Military Health System Beneficiaries.

  • Most beneficiaries reported positive experiences, with 93 percent reporting they were comfortable with the telehealth process. Additionally, 70 percent of beneficiaries rated their last telehealth appointment highly, and 66 percent of them would recommend telehealth to a family member or friend.
  • More beneficiaries accessed telehealth through phone (85 percent) than by video (57 percent). In particular, 95 percent of beneficiaries enrolled in Prime with a military PCM who accessed telehealth used phone, whereas 28 percent participated in a video call.
  • Overall, 46 percent of beneficiaries would prefer a telehealth appointment over travel- ing to see their provider in the future, with 50 percent of beneficiaries who accessed telehealth by video and 45 percent of beneficiaries who accessed telehealth by phone preferring telehealth in the future.