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Objective: Investigate the association between Telemental Health (TMH) uptake and sociodemographic characteristics, and how TMH uptake relates to health care resource utilization and Medicaid expenditures among Mississippi Medicaid enrollees with major depression. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted (2019–2020), comparing those who utilized TMH and those who did not. Results: Among the 21,239 identified enrollees, 806 (3.79%) utilized TMH. The TMH cohort was more likely to be of older age, non-Hispanic White, comprehensive managed care organization enrollees, rural residents, and from areas with a higher area deprivation index, and have higher Charlson comorbidity index scores. The TMH cohort also exhibited higher mental health-related and all-cause outpatient and emergency department utilization, along with higher Medicaid expenditures. Conclusion: As the first study investigating telehealth utilization among Mississippi Medicaid enrollees, this study highlights sociodemographic disparities in telehealth adoption. Addressing barriers hindering telehealth adoption among vulnerable populations and ensuring the availability of quality data are vital for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Telemental health (TMH) offers a promising approach to managing major depressive disorder (MDD). The objective of our work was to evaluate TMH usage among a vulnerable population of MDD Medicare beneficiaries and its association with health care utilization and expenditures. Methods: This cohort study analyzed 2019 Mississippi Medicare fee-for-service data for adult beneficiaries with MDD. Subjects were matched by the use of TMH following 1:1 propensity score matching. Comparisons between TMH and non-TMH cohorts were made on health care utilization and expenditure outcomes, adjusting for provider types postmatching. Results: Among 7,673 identified beneficiaries, 551 used TMH and 7,122 did not. Prematching, TMH cohort showed greater proportions of dual beneficiaries, rural residents, subjects with income below $40,000, those with disability entitlement, and higher Charlson comorbidity index scores, compared to the non-TMH cohort (all p < 0.001). Moreover, the TMH cohort had fewer outpatient visits, but more inpatient admissions, emergency department (ED) visits, and higher medical, pharmacy, and total expenditures (all p < 0.001). Postmatching, TMH was associated with a 25% reduction in outpatient visits (p < 0.001) and a 20% reduction in pharmacy expenditures (p = 0.01), with no significant effect on inpatient admissions, ED visits, medical expenditures, or total expenditures. Conclusions: These results underscore the potential of TMH in enhancing accessible health care services for vulnerable populations and affordable services for Medicare. Our results provide a robust baseline for future policy discussions concerning TMH. Future studies should consider identifying barriers to TMH use among vulnerable populations and ensuring equitable and high-quality patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]