Telehealth use surged from 8% of Americans in December to 29% in May as primary care, mental health and specialists turned to remote care out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a UnitedHealth Group report.

Telehealth evangelists long have touted using high-speed Internet connections and a range of devices to link providers and patients for remote care. But regulatory hurdles and medicine’s conservative culturelimited virtual checkups to largely minor conditions like sinus infections or unique circumstances such as connecting neurologists to rural hospitals that lack specialized care.

The pandemic lockdowns closed doctors offices and delayed non-emergency care for millions of Americans. Some clinics scrambled to acquire technology platforms to deliver remote care. Others began employing rarely used video programs to reach patients in their homes.

Remote visits among Medicare patients surged through the end of March, prompting Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director Seema Verma to say she “can’t imagine going back.”

Aided by emergency legislation that eased Medicare payment restrictions and allowed doctors to practice across state lines, some predict a significant portion of Americans will choose to get care remotely as stay-at-home orders lift.

“There will be a wave of ongoing adoption and increased acceptance, even as the pandemic begins to wind down,” said Dr. Wyatt Decker, CEO of OptumHealth. “I think the shift is permanent.”

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