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Telemedicine and Telehealth
Telemedicine or telehealth is a way for you to communicate or have health care visits with your doctor or health care team when you aren’t together in the same place. These visits can include audio or video so your care team can “see” you when you have a problem that needs to be managed. This can be helpful because you won’t need to leave your home or travel if you’re far from a doctor. You might hear this called a virtual visit.
What are telemedicine and telehealth?
Telemedicine is a part of telehealth services. Telemedicine focuses on medical care. Telehealth uses the same technology to provide a wider range of health services. Telehealth may include:
- Nutrition counseling for eating or weight problems
- Mental health counseling for anxiety, depression, or other problems
- Helping making lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, or quitting smoking
In the past, telehealth and telemedicine mainly were used by people who lived in rural areas, didn’t have easy access to doctors, and would have to travel a long distance for a medical visit. Now, they are being used by anyone.
Technology used in telemedicine and telehealth
Different technologies can be used depending on what’s being done or what problems you might have. for example, if you’re due for a check-up or your doctor needs certain information to help manage your care from a distance, they might use:
- Phone calls.
- Video chat or video calls use computers or smartphones to let you and your doctor or nurse see and talk to each other in real time.
- Devices that can connect over the internet to monitor blood levels or blood pressure (remote patient monitoring or RPM).
- Web-based patient portals that let you and your health care team send messages back and forth. You might also be able to see test results, current prescriptions, upcoming visits, and educational information shared by your health care team.
However, some doctors' offices or health care facilities may not have technology available.
How do telemedicine and telehealth work?
Here are some examples of how telemedicine or telehealth might be used, if it’s available to you:
- You can have certain problems monitored without having to go in for a face-to-face visit.
- Your doctor can evaluate or diagnose medical problems or decide if you need to have tests done.
- You can have a referral visit or consult with a specialist. You may be at home or in a medical facility during the visit.
- You can learn and talk about treatment options.
- You can ask for a new prescription or have current prescriptions refilled.
- You and your family or caregiver can have a teaching session about a health problem, diagnosis, or medicine.
It’s important to know that a face-to-face visit may still be required for certain things even though you are using telemedicine or telehealth.
How are telemedicine and telehealth used in cancer care?
For people who have or have had cancer, here are some ways telemedicine and telehealth technologies can be used:
- Managing your medicines
- Meetings with nutritionists
- Teaching sessions about a new medicine or treatment
- Consults with a palliative care team who can help manage symptoms and side effects (like nausea, vomiting, or pain)
- Check-ups between treatments or after treatment ends
- Visits with a genetic counselor
Ask your cancer care team about telehealth options available to you and your family or caregiver.
Will my insurance cover telemedicine and telehealth?
Check with your health care team to find out which telehealth services are available to you and their costs. If there are costs for certain types of telehealth services, they might be covered by your insurance. Check with your plan to see if telehealth services are covered and if there are any out-of-pocket costs.
- usually pays for these services, but it depends on the state you are in.
- Private health plans may cover telehealth services.
- Medicare currently covers most of the costs for telehealth services, no matter where you are. Starting October 1, 2025, Medicare will only pay for telehealth services when you are in a medical office or facility in a rural area. Exceptions to this rule are visits for home dialysis, stroke evaluations, and mental health services. Telehealth services covered by can be found on their site.
- Medicare Advantage Plans and some specific Medicare providers may offer different services. It’s important to check with your plan to see if they are covered.
As of September 30, 2025, some telehealth policies expire, and others on December 31, 2025. At this time, they have not been extended. Continue to check with your health plan, state, and cancer care team to see if telehealth will be an option for you.
- Written by
- References
Developed by the P站视频 medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
American Hospital Association (AHA). Fact sheet: Telehealth waivers. Updated July 2025. Accessed at https://www.aha.org/fact-sheets/2025-02-07-fact-sheet-telehealth-waivers on July 25, 2025.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). Telehealth. Medicare.gov. Accessed at https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/telehealth on July 25, 2025.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). Telemedicine. Medicaid.gov. Accessed at https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/telemedicine/index.html on July 25, 2025.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Telehealth, telemedicine, and telecare: What’s what? Accessed at https://www.fcc.gov/general/telehealth-telemedicine-and-telecare-whats-what on July 25, 2025.
Health Resource & Services Administration (HRSA). Telehealth and cancer care. Telehealth.HHS.gov. Accessed at https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/best-practice-guides/telehealth-and-cancer-care on July 25, 2025.
Health Resource & Services Administration (HRSA). Telehealth policy changes after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Telehealth.HHS.gov. Published December 19, 2023. Accessed at https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/telehealth-policy/policy-changes-after-the-covid-19-public-health-emergency on July 25, 2025.
Health Resource & Services Administration (HRSA). What can be treated through telehealth? Telehealth.HHS.gov. Published August 16, 2024. Accessed at https://telehealth.hhs.gov/patients/what-can-be-treated-through-telehealth on July 25, 2025.
Health Resource & Services Administration (HRSA). What are different types of telehealth? Telehealth.HHS.gov. Published August 16, 2024. Accessed at https://telehealth.hhs.gov/patients/what-are-different-types-telehealth on January 17, 2025.
United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). DEA announces three new telemedicine rules that continue to open access to telehealth treatment while protecting patients. Published January 16, 2025. Accessed at https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2025/01/16/dea-announces-three-new-telemedicine-rules-continue-open-access on July 25, 2025.
Last Revised: September 3, 2025
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