Noting that Medicare reimburses $83 for both types of visits, the researchers argued that Medicare should both reduce its reimbursement for telehealth appointments, and encourage more of them.

"Assuming that a telehealth visit costs approximately $50/visit, the estimated savings per commercial telehealth visit are $126," the report said in its executive summary. "In Medicare, where telehealth visits are reimbursed at the same rate as in-person care, savings would still be realized from replacing in-person care with telehealth visits where appropriate."

Researchers noted that telehealth use is still "relatively low (one to two percent) among eligible beneficiaries," but added that such visits are increasing  in number. In part, that because telehealth works.

"The average number of telehealth visits per patient is 1.3 visits/year. The most common diagnoses made during a telehealth visit are sinusitis, followed by cold/flu/pertussis and urinary tract infections. Patient issues are able to be resolved during the initial telehealth visit an average of 83 percent of the time," the study said.

The study also found that telehealth diverted patients from making trips other than to a health clinic. When asked where they would have gone had they not gotten medical counsel via telehealth, this was the breakdown of other locations:

• 45.8 percent would have gone to an urgent care;
• 30.9 percent would have gone to a physician's office;
• 12.3 percent would have done nothing;
• 5.6 percent would have gone to an emergency room.

Currently, researchers said, the reimbursement system Medicare follows doesn't encourage greater use of telehealth by individuals.

"Lifting the restrictions on payment for telehealth in the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program will not increase overall costs and will instead result in cost savings if telehealth visits are substituted for in-person acute care, when medically appropriate," the researchers concluded.

Also read: Consumers optimistic about telehealth