Telehealth vs In-Person Care Cost Comparison Calculator
Compare the true total cost of telehealth versus in-person medical visits, including copays, travel expenses, and the value of your time.
Visit Details
Telehealth Costs
In-Person Costs
Your Time Value
Formulas Used
Telehealth Annual Cost:
Tel_Annual = (Copay × Visits) + (Subscription × 12)
+ ((Wait_min / 60) × Hourly_Wage × Time_Pct% × Visits)
In-Person Annual Cost:
IP_Annual = ((Copay + Miles × Mileage_Rate + Parking) × Visits)
+ ((Total_min / 60) × Hourly_Wage × Time_Pct% × Visits)
Annual Savings:
Savings = IP_Annual − Tel_Annual Savings % = (Savings / IP_Annual) × 100
Assumptions & References
- Default mileage rate of $0.67/mile reflects the IRS 2024 standard mileage rate for medical travel (IRS.gov).
- Time cost is calculated as the opportunity cost of time spent on the visit, scaled by the percentage you choose to include (0–100%).
- Telehealth subscription fees (e.g., Teladoc, MDLive) are annualized from a monthly fee.
- In-person travel cost = round-trip miles × mileage rate + parking/transit per visit.
- Average telehealth copay ranges from $0–$49; in-person primary care copay averages $20–$60 (FAIR Health, 2023).
- This calculator does not account for insurance deductibles, out-of-network fees, or prescription costs.
- Time savings from telehealth are well-documented: average in-person visit involves ~2 hours total time vs. ~20–30 minutes for telehealth (NCBI, 2021).