Throughout the past three years of utilizing telehealth as a way to access mental health care (whether through your computer or using an app), several providers are now offering this type of treatment for patients for their mental health issues. The federal government has also approved telehealth as a means of receiving mental health treatment free from restrictions of location and limitations related to time of day.
As a result, many patients are able to continue their relationship with their therapist or psychiatrist by communicating via video call from the comfort of their own home or by talking to them throughout the day when it is convenient for the patient (i.e., on a lunch or with some privacy in a study area). The impact of telehealth services upon patients’ ability to access their mental health treatment has provided some patients who might have otherwise not received treatment at a physical location the opportunity to receive treatment via telehealth because they have become more comfortable with the treatment process than they were with going to a physical location to get treated. Many psychiatrists who have treated patients using telehealth services point out that as patients have become familiar with the treatment process, they are now more likely to seek assistance through telehealth than from traditional methods.
Despite the many advantages of telehealth arrangements, the regulatory environment that applies to the delivery of telehealth can be very complex. As an example, many private insurers as well as Medicare require periodic in-person visits in order for a patient to receive telehealth services, in addition to having substantially lower reimbursement rates than traditional providers. Behavioral health policy experts also note that if reimbursement payments fall short of or deviate significantly from traditional systems or have so many regulatory restrictions that providers cannot get payment for services rendered, treatment providers may not continue to accept patients via telehealth methods.
Access to equitable online mental health services is also a concern. Telehealth mental health services assume that clients have reliable internet service, a private area in which to receive services, and the ability to effectively use technology; these resources are not always available equally across the four ATUs. If telehealth becomes the norm without corresponding investment in the technology infrastructure for all communities, we risk leaving behind individuals in rural areas, low-income individuals, and older adults.
Many in the field believe 2026 will be a turning point for mental health services through telehealth, due to incorporation of telehealth mental health services into coordinated care models where the same patient may receive services as needed through primary care and the collaboration of multiple specialists virtually; for example, the availability of telepsychiatry allows for collaborative care to be provided as necessary as opposed to only at scheduled times. Also, many digital mental health devices such as some environmentally friendly diagnostic devices and apps/programs approved for use by the FDA, will be integrated into treatment plans instead of being seen as substitutes for live patient mental health practitioners.
For patients suffering from depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or anxiety, telehealth mental health services will allow persons who previously had to drive once a month to attend their appointments to instead have a video connection with their provider once a week; will allow patients to have timely follow-up to their appointments to a greater degree than would otherwise be convenient, and allow for continuity of care during difficult periods of time due to disruptions in daily life. The ultimate policy query for the United States is whether these gains will be sustained by further investment or will gradually diminish.
Source: Critical Telehealth Changes Effective February 2026 – American Psychiatric Association , Major Federal and State Shifts Reshaping Access to Care in 2026 – PsychMC
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