THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
New Teladoc Health research and CMS shifts highlight the value of sustained mental healthcare
Grace C. Niu, PhD, Clinical Director, Care Model Design & Quality
Cecilia knew something wasn’t right. In the middle of a move from Florida to New York, she felt anxious and found herself unable to finish the drive on her own. Her sister and family had to step in to help her get there.
“I wasn’t myself,” she said.
By the time she arrived, the toll was visible. She had lost her appetite and was now 15 pounds lighter. What started as a mental health struggle had begun to show up physically.
Cecilia’s experience is far from rare. About one in five U.S. adults have depression or anxiety, and these conditions commonly cause physical symptoms, such as appetite changes, weight fluctuations and more. Improving mental health, and its physical effects, is possible, but it depends on consistent follow-up and ongoing support over time rather than a single visit.
In traditional mental healthcare settings, accessing treatment is often difficult. Provider shortages and long wait times prevent many from receiving treatment and can make follow-up care especially challenging.
Virtual mental health provides a system to meet demand and enables the follow-up care that research increasingly shows is critical to meaningful outcomes. In new research led by Teladoc Health, an analysis of more than 100,000 patients in 2024 found that more frequent therapy was associated with significantly faster improvement in both anxiety and depression.
The findings, which were presented at the Anxiety & Depression Association of America Conference 2026, reinforce that weekly therapy is associated with significant declines in anxiety and depression symptoms. Patients who averaged weekly visits achieved clinically significant improvement in depression and anxiety 84 and 64 days sooner compared to those with monthly visits.
These measures assess symptoms such as sleep, energy, appetite and more. Faster improvement across these areas has meaningful benefits for both mental and physical health. Cecilia’s experience mirrors this pattern. By removing the hassle of in-person care, Teladoc Health quickly connected her with a psychiatrist, who then referred her to a therapist. Within a short time, she had a care team to support her from multiple angles.
The same emphasis on follow-up and ongoing care reflected in our analysis is also reshaping how mental healthcare is measured at the policy level. For years, depression screening and follow-up have been reported as a quality measure by health plans. Beginning in 2027, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will elevate depression screening and follow-up to a performance measure within the Medicare Advantage (MA) Star ratings program, tying plan financials to performance on this measure.
This sends a broader signal: Identifying mental health needs is only the first step. Sustained engagement and documented follow-up are increasingly central to how quality outcomes are defined.
Building on this focus on sustained engagement, Teladoc Health has examined how virtual care performs across different populations. Recent data show similar levels of engagement among patients in rural and urban areas. These patients also experienced comparable clinical improvements in depression and anxiety, even though rural patients entered care with higher risk levels. This finding underscores virtual care’s potential to deliver consistent outcomes in settings where access barriers have traditionally been greatest.
Pat had spent years trying to manage the lasting effects of childhood abuse, struggling with stress, anxiety and poor sleep mainly on her own. Living in an area where mental health services were not always easily accessible, seeking care felt especially out of reach.
“Over the years, I tried to deal with that but hadn’t done a very good job,” she explained. “Finally, I wanted to address it fully.”
For Pat, being at home, comfortable and present for her daughter was key to taking the first step and to keep going.
Through Teladoc Health, Pat engaged in ongoing therapy and, over time, also connected with a psychiatrist and registered dietitian. Pat saw marked clinical improvement with the help of weekly sessions with her therapist, and virtual care made that consistency possible.
Pat didn’t face long wait times or require repeated handoffs that interrupt follow-up in traditional care settings.
Her experience underscores what sustained, coordinated care makes possible. For Cecilia, that same ability to connect with multiple healthcare professionals quickly and consistently changed everything.
“Life is unpredictable—moods, environments, circumstances change constantly. Having tools to manage that is critical,” she said. “Now, I feel like a champion of happiness.”
Cecilia’s confidence skyrocketed. After the first few months, she was able to get a new job, started new hobbies and started participating in family life—all at a healthy weight.
“Teladoc Health removes the stigma and hassle of in-person visits,” she said. “No waiting rooms, no judgment, just accessible care from your phone. That simplicity makes it easier to get help when you need it.”
