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Telehealth Utilization Trends in September 2025

In September 2025, telehealth usage across the United States demonstrated a noteworthy decline as reported by FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker. This decline impacted every U.S. census region except for the Northeast, where there was a slight increase in telehealth claim lines. According to the data, the percentage of medical claim lines attributed to telehealth fell from 5.1% in August to 5.0% in September, marking a 2.3% decrease.

Regional Insights

Breaking down the statistics regionally reveals more granular insights:

• - Midwest: Experienced a sharp decline of 6.9% in telehealth claims.
• - South: Displayed a decrease of 2.6%.
• - West: Showed a reduction of 1.4%.
• - Northeast: Uniquely, this region saw a growth of 2.9% in telehealth claim lines.

Such fluctuations underscore a changing landscape for telehealth services, potentially reflecting variations in patient preference, provider availability, or even service marketing across the country.

Patient Percentage with Telehealth Claims

In tandem with the drop in claim lines, the overall percentage of patients having telehealth claims also decreased. Nationally, this figure declined from 14.8% in August to 14.7% in September, a minimal 0.4% reduction. Notable changes regionally included:

• - Midwest: A decrease of 1.8%.
• - West: A decline of 1.1%.
• - Adjustments in South and Northeast: The South saw an increase of 0.8% while the Northeast recorded a rise of 0.6%.

These trends suggest that while telehealth services may still be widely utilized, there may be emerging preferences for in-person consultations, particularly in regions outside the Northeast.

Diagnostic Categories

In a marked shift, sleep disorders re-entered the top five diagnostic categories for telehealth in September, placing fifth nationally. This change displaced joint and soft tissue issues, which had previously occupied that position. Specifically, in the Midwest, sleep disorders maintained their rank as the third most frequent diagnostic category, suggesting a regional uptick in telehealth consultations for sleep-related issues.

Interestingly, mental health conditions continued to dominate as the leading telehealth diagnosis. However, this area also saw a slight decline nationally, where those claiming mental health conditions fell from 62.4% in August to 62.1% in September.

Urban vs. Rural Telehealth Utilization

Continued trends showed higher telehealth use in urban areas compared to rural settings. With urban patients comprising 14.9% of users compared to only 7.4% in rural areas, the disparities in access and service preferences remain persistent. The West displayed the largest urban-rural divide, while the Northeast showed the least differentiation.

Age Demographics

Age distribution also played a significant role in telehealth utilization patterns. The 19-30 age group emerged as the demographic using telehealth services the most, comprising 23.8% in September, slightly surpassing the 31-40 age group, which accounted for 23.1%. Categories representing ages 0-9 and 65 and older consistently demonstrated minimal engagement in telehealth services.

Procedure Categories

Psychotherapy services and established patient office visits remained the two leading procedure categories for telehealth interactions. There were slight shifts in ranking across regions, but these categories showed consistent preference among patients for telehealth consultations.

Conclusion

The data from September underscores a significant trend in telehealth utilization, prompting questions about long-term patient preferences and access to care. With the Northeast diverging from national trends, a closer examination of regional healthcare dynamics may yield vital insights for future telehealth strategies. The Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker has been a vital tool for potentially reshaping healthcare access and enhancing the understanding of shifting patient behaviors in the post-pandemic landscape.