A few years ago, “seeing the doctor” meant sitting in a waiting room with old magazines and bad coffee. Today, for millions of Americans, it means opening a laptop.
Telehealth has reshaped how healthcare access works with quick virtual visits, online prescriptions, and remote check-ins that keep people healthier with less hassle. But not everyone has Wi-Fi, the device, or the digital know-how to make it work.
And when digital access decides who gets healthcare, we’re not just talking about convenience anymore, but about equity.
Healthcare’s Quiet Crisis is the Digital Divide
The “digital divide” sounds technical, but it’s deeply human. It’s the gap between those who have reliable internet, digital devices, and technology skills, and those who don’t.
In healthcare, that gap has real consequences:
- Patients in rural areas can’t connect with specialists because broadband service ends miles before their homes.
- Older adults give up on telehealth portals because they’re confusing or glitchy.
- Families sharing one smartphone can’t juggle multiple appointments.
During the pandemic, telehealth use skyrocketed, but so did awareness of who was left out. Even now, tens of millions of Americans struggle with poor internet or limited digital literacy.
When your connection drops during a virtual visit, it’s frustrating. When you can’t connect at all, it’s a public health problem.
Telehealth’s Promise and Its Limits
Telehealth has opened incredible doors:
- Patients with mobility issues can see doctors from home.
- Rural residents can consult specialists hours away.
- Remote management of chronic conditions is now possible with remote digital monitoring.
The current government shutdown is ending Medicare telehealth services, but we are hopeful that Medicare telehealth will return when the Federal government reopens. Even if it does, without equitable access to technology, telehealth risks widening disparities rather than closing them.
Healthcare is about making sure everyone can use the available technology, and that’s equity.
Progress in Motion in Bridging the Digital Divide
The good news is that communities, companies, and policymakers are responding.
- The FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program helps low-income households afford broadband and devices, but that support isn’t currently available due to the government shutdown.
- Rural states are expanding internet infrastructure with federal and state funding, connecting clinics and homes that were previously off the grid.
- Nonprofits and libraries are offering digital literacy workshops teaching people how to use portals, video chat with doctors, and access online health records.
- Some clinics even lend Wi-Fi hotspots and tablets to patients for telehealth appointments.
It’s not flashy, but it’s transformational. Every new broadband line, newly trained senior, and connected household brings us closer to full digital health equity.
What Digital Inclusion Really Means
It’s easy to think of the internet as a luxury, but in 2025, it’s as essential to healthcare as electricity. Digital inclusion means ensuring everyone, regardless of income, age, or ZIP code, can benefit from telehealth and online health tools.
That includes:
- Reliable infrastructure so patients can connect when they need it.
- Affordable access so cost doesn’t block care.
- Usable design so health portals work for everyone, not just technology experts.
- Digital confidence so patients feel capable, not intimidated.
Digital inclusion is about giving people the power to stay healthy, informed, and connected.
A Connection Worth Making
As we move from access to equity, we must remember that healthcare doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It occurs in living rooms, on cell phones, in rural clinics, and on video calls.
When Wi-Fi determines wellness, we can’t ignore connectivity as part of the care equation. The next chapter in health equity will be written with fiber optics and 5G, and, most importantly, by how we use them to reach everyone.
Because the future of healthcare isn’t just digital, it’s inclusive. The road forward starts here, and it begins with us.
Are you ready to walk together? We work daily to increase health equity and want you to join us in making this happen in even more places.
Explore our four support options to determine which one works best for you. We’re glad you’re here. Follow along with “Care That Lasts” every week and join us in reimagining what healthcare equity can look like—together.