Food-Insecure Individuals Rely More on Telehealth Than Their Counterparts: Bidisha Mandal, PhD

Food insecurity is linked to fewer annual health care visits but a higher proportion of telehealth use for primary and preventive care, according to a recent study published in The American Journal of Managed Care^® (AJMC^®).

The retrospective analysis, “Telehealth for Primary and Preventive Care Among Food-Insecure Individuals,” found that food-insecure individuals had fewer total annual visits, both in-person and via telehealth, across 4 visit types: general checkups, diagnosis or treatment, psychotherapy or mental health counseling, and follow-up or postoperative care.

However, when these individuals did access care, they were more likely to use telehealth for each visit type, a pattern associated with significantly lower health care expenditures per visit.

AJMC recently spoke with Bidisha Mandal, PhD, a professor at Washington State University, about her study. In part 1 of the interview, she discussed what was previously known about the relationship between food insecurity, disease burden, and health care utilization.

Mandal noted that prior research has shown that food insecurity is linked to a high burden of chronic disease and higher health care costs. Meanwhile, telehealth has emerged as an effective way to manage ongoing care, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, helping food-insecure patients who often face transportation and financial barriers that make in-person visits difficult.

She then outlined her study’s primary objectives and methods, explaining that her research integrates these previous findings to examine how telehealth affects access to and costs of primary and preventive care for food-insecure individuals.

Mandal concluded by summarizing the main findings and highlighting the factors she believes drive the 7.2% lower rate of annual health care visits observed in this population.

“When people are struggling to afford basic needs like food, they are more likely to delay or skip routine doctor visits,” she said. “Even when they have health problems, costs like co-pays, transportation, time off work, and child care can all become barriers. This finding really reflects the broader reality that financial and social pressures make it harder for people to access primary and preventive care.”

Reference

Mandal B. Telehealth for primary and preventive care among food-insecure individuals. Am J Manag Care. 2026;32(1):16-22. doi:10.37765/ajmc.2026.89867