Older Adults are Using Patient Portals — Some are Getting Charged for it

Older adults are increasingly using digital tools to communicate with their physicians — but in some cases, they’re paying for the privilege. A recent national survey finds that more than 13% of adults aged 50 and older who messaged their doctors through patient portals were charged a copay. Rates were similar among Medicaid recipients and those with private insurance.The research, published last Friday in JAMA Health Forum, analyzed responses from 3,212 older adults as part of the University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging. The findings raise additional questions about how telehealth billing policies — originally expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic — may be affecting access to care for low-income patients.