biostudies-literatureBose SNIDDK NIH HHS635-642https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9843604biostudies-literatureUnknown41(5)Anticipating a growing need for health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expanded telemedicine coverage in the United States on March 6, 2020. In this study we used roughly thirty million Medicare fee-for-service claims to quantify outpatient telemedicine use before and after the Medicare telemedicine coverage waiver and to examine the association of telemedicine use with the Area Deprivation Index, a comprehensive measure of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage. Before the waiver, 0.42 percent of patients had at least one outpatient telemedicine visit, with no significant differences between people residing in the most versus the least disadvantaged neighborhoods. With the waiver, 9.97 percent of patients had at least one outpatient telemHealth affairs (Project Hope)Medicare Beneficiaries In Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Increased Telemedicine Use During The COVID-19 Pandemic.PMC9843604K23 DK124515Walsh CHicks CWBose SDun CMakary MAZhang GQfalseMedicare Beneficiaries In Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Increased Telemedicine Use During The COVID-19 Pandemic.Anticipating a growing need for health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expanded telemedicine coverage in the United States on March 6, 2020. In this study we used roughly thirty million Medicare fee-for-service claims to quantify outpatient telemedicine use before and after the Medicare telemedicine coverage waiver and to examine the association of telemedicine use with the Area Deprivation Index, a comprehensive measure of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage. Before the waiver, 0.42 percent of patients had at least one outpatient telemedicine visit, with no significant differences between people residing in the most versus the least disadvantaged neighborhoods. With the waiver, 9.97 percent of patients had at least one outpatient telem2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 May2025-04-04T08:06:53.02Z2025-04-04T08:06:53.02ZS-EPMC98436043550018610.1377/hlthaff.2021.01706