In this brief, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) examines trends in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) telehealth utilization before and during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Specifically, it describes patterns of telehealth service utilization based on where enrollees and providers live and work, highlighting trends for rural and urban enrollees, and telehealth utilization in geographic health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). It concludes that the use of telehealth in the Medicaid and CHIP programs warrants continued examination in both urban and rural areas. Medicaid and CHIP are important sources of insurance coverage in rural areas covering 47 percent of children and 18 percent of adults in rural counties.
