Patient-Provider Distance in Medicare Outpatient Oncology Telehealth Versus Office Visits, 2021-2023: Cross-Sectional Claims Analysis

In a cross-sectional analysis of traditional Medicare Fee-For-Service beneficiaries aged 66 years or older with outpatient oncology-related encounters, we found that telehealth modestly extended patient-provider geographic reach but largely operated within existing office-based catchments and preserved rural-urban distance gradients. Equitable telehealth policy should target patients with high travel burden while supporting digital access, navigation, and cross-jurisdiction continuity.