{
  "slug": "telehealth-vs-in-person-margin",
  "title": "Telehealth vs In-Person Visit Margin Calculator",
  "heading": "Telehealth vs In-Person Margin Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/telehealth-vs-in-person-margin",
  "summary": "Compare per-visit profit margin between telehealth and in-person appointments.",
  "description": "Telehealth reimbursement often runs at or near parity with in-person visits now in many states and payers, but the cost structure underneath is very different — no exam room turnover, less front-desk time, but also more no-shows in some populations and platform fees that in-person visits don't carry. This calculator compares fully-loaded margin per visit for both modalities, accounting for reduced overhead allocation on telehealth visits (no room cost, less MA time) against its own no-show rate and per-visit platform cost, so you can see which modality actually nets more per slot and whether shifting a portion of your schedule to telehealth helps or hurts overall practice margin.",
  "formula": "Margin = reimbursement × (1 − no-show rate) − variable cost − overhead allocation − platform fee (telehealth only).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=telehealth-vs-in-person-margin",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "reimbursementInPerson",
      "label": "In-person reimbursement",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 140,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "reimbursementTele",
      "label": "Telehealth reimbursement",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 125,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "overheadInPerson",
      "label": "In-person overhead allocation per visit",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 55,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "overheadTele",
      "label": "Telehealth overhead allocation per visit",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 25,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "noShowInPerson",
      "label": "In-person no-show rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "noShowTele",
      "label": "Telehealth no-show rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 15,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "platformFee",
      "label": "Telehealth platform fee per visit",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 6,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "diff",
      "label": "Telehealth margin advantage per visit",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "inPersonMargin",
      "label": "In-person margin per visit",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "teleMargin",
      "label": "Telehealth margin per visit",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "inPersonMarginDaily",
      "label": "Est. daily margin, 16 in-person visits",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "teleMarginDaily",
      "label": "Est. daily margin, 20 telehealth visits",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "In-person reimbursement: 140 $",
      "Telehealth reimbursement: 125 $",
      "In-person overhead allocation per visit: 55 $",
      "Telehealth overhead allocation per visit: 25 $",
      "In-person no-show rate: 8 %",
      "Telehealth no-show rate: 15 %",
      "Telehealth platform fee per visit: 6 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Telehealth margin advantage per visit: $1.45",
      "In-person margin per visit: $73.80",
      "Telehealth margin per visit: $75.25",
      "Est. daily margin, 16 in-person visits: $1,181",
      "Est. daily margin, 20 telehealth visits: $1,505"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter in-person reimbursement ($).",
      "Enter telehealth reimbursement ($).",
      "Enter in-person overhead allocation per visit ($).",
      "Enter telehealth overhead allocation per visit ($).",
      "Enter in-person no-show rate (%).",
      "Enter telehealth no-show rate (%).",
      "Enter telehealth platform fee per visit ($).",
      "Read your telehealth margin advantage per visit on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "reimbursementInPerson": 85,
        "reimbursementTele": 75,
        "overheadInPerson": 35,
        "overheadTele": 15,
        "noShowInPerson": 5,
        "noShowTele": 9,
        "platformFee": 4
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "reimbursementInPerson": 140,
        "reimbursementTele": 125,
        "overheadInPerson": 55,
        "overheadTele": 25,
        "noShowInPerson": 8,
        "noShowTele": 15,
        "platformFee": 6
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "reimbursementInPerson": 225,
        "reimbursementTele": 200,
        "overheadInPerson": 90,
        "overheadTele": 40,
        "noShowInPerson": 13,
        "noShowTele": 24,
        "platformFee": 10
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Does telehealth reimburse the same as in-person now?",
      "a": "It depends on payer and state. Many commercial payers and Medicare extended near-parity reimbursement rules established during the pandemic, but some have since scaled back for certain visit types. Always check current payer-specific telehealth policy before assuming parity, since it directly drives this comparison."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why is the telehealth no-show rate usually higher?",
      "a": "Video visits have a lower commitment barrier to cancel or simply not log in compared to driving to an office, especially for populations with less reliable internet or tech comfort. Practices that send a link 15 minutes before the visit and call if the patient hasn't joined can meaningfully reduce this gap."
    },
    {
      "q": "Can telehealth increase daily visit capacity enough to offset lower reimbursement?",
      "a": "Often yes — no room turnover time and less MA involvement per visit lets many providers see 20-25% more patients per day via telehealth, which is why the daily margin comparison (not just per-visit) is the more useful number for scheduling decisions."
    },
    {
      "q": "What visit types don't work well for telehealth?",
      "a": "Anything requiring a physical exam finding, vitals beyond what a patient can self-report, or a procedure obviously needs an in-person visit. Behavioral health, medication management follow-ups, and stable chronic disease check-ins are the best-fit telehealth candidates."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/rvu-physician-compensation",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/medical-practice-cost-per-visit"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Telehealth vs In-Person Visit Margin Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/telehealth-vs-in-person-margin)"
}