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How COVID-19 has changed telehealth
April 13, 2021

Read more of Dr. Dallow’s thoughts on how COVID-19 changed telehealth in this USA Today article: The pandemic ushered in a 'new era of medicine': These telehealth trends are likely here to stay.

This article is for all providers caring for our members

The use of telehealth as a site of service has skyrocketed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, Blue Cross typically received 200 telehealth claims per day. Now we get about 30,000 per day.

This major uptick can be attributed mainly to mental health and primary care.

  • Mental health appointments make up 53% of the total telehealth claims processed since March 2020.
  • Primary care comprised the second largest percentage of health care appointments at 17%1.

“The flexibility of telehealth has allowed doctors to organize their workday to cater to both in-person and virtual appointments,” says Dr. Katherine Dallow, Blue Cross vice president of clinical programs and strategy. “This means fewer people in the office at one time, creating more opportunities for social distancing.”


1. The pandemic ushered in a 'new era of medicine': These telehealth trends are likely here to stay,” Rodriguez, Adrianna, USA Today, March 21, 2021, retrieved April 7, 2021.

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