Telemedicine Goes Mainstream

Over the past five years, telemedicine in Russia has evolved from a pandemic-era novelty into a full-fledged segment of the healthcare market. According to VTsIOM data, while only 8% of Russians used remote medical consultations in 2020, that figure reached 22% in 2025—representing nearly a threefold increase in the user base.

Yet the market's potential remains significantly higher than current adoption rates. A VTsIOM study found that 64% of Russians familiar with the concept of telemedicine would consider using online consultations in the future—whether via internet or phone. At the same time, nearly half of citizens still aren't ready to fully trust the remote format. This gap between demand, technological capabilities, and existing limitations is what's currently shaping the market's development.

The pandemic created the market, but economics is driving it forward now

The COVID-19 pandemic was the main catalyst for telemedicine's growth. During lockdowns, online consultations became virtually the only way for many patients to receive medical care without visiting a clinic. But after the pandemic ended, the market didn't revert to previous levels—quite the opposite, the habit stuck.

Health Minister Mikhail Murashko in May 2026 reported that 24 million telemedicine consultations were conducted in Russia over the previous year—roughly 8 million more than the year before.

Telemedicine is gradually becoming part of the everyday model for consuming medical services—especially in major cities and among the working population. Users value it primarily for time savings, the ability to quickly get a second opinion, or consultation on an already-known diagnosis.

According to the head of SberZdorovye's medical divisionAlina Gubanova, today "more than 60% of health-related issues can be resolved remotely." This includes not just consultations with general practitioners, but also managing chronic patients, interpreting test results, adjusting treatment plans, and providing psychological support.

"Online consultations make it possible to reach an experienced doctor with any health questions without wasting time on travel and waiting rooms," Gubanova notes.

The company is also seeing a sharp surge in user demand. According to SberZdorovye data, the number of online consultations through the service has increased twelvefold over the past six years.

Telemedicine is no longer just a"video call with a doctor"

The market is gradually expanding beyond simple online consultations. Major players are developing an ecosystem approach that integrates telemedicine with laboratory diagnostics, electronic medical records, AI services, and remote patient monitoring.

The chronic patient monitoring segment is growing particularly fast. As noted by leading expert at Aktion MedicineNatalya Zhuravleva, telemedicine delivers the greatest impact when working with patients with arterial hypertension and diabetes, as well as in follow-up consultation formats.

SberZdorovye already uses smart medical devices for remote patient monitoring. According to the company, deploying these technologies has reduced hospitalizations and ambulance calls by 70%, while mortality among patients with cardiovascular diseases has dropped by 30%.

At the same time, the role of artificial intelligence is growing. According to SberZdorovye, AI assistants powered by GigaChat already handle 13% of medical inquiries on the platform. These systems help preliminarily collect patient histories, analyze examination results, and route patients appropriately.

The market is effectively moving toward a digital primary care model, where online becomes the first stage of patient interaction with the healthcare system.

Insurers are in no rush to make telemedicine cheaper

Despite the widespread belief that online consultations should significantly reduce the cost of medical services, insurance companies are taking a far more cautious view.

Director of Medical Insurance at SberStrakhovanieNatalya Kharinanotes that telemedicine does indeed help reduce the cost of voluntary health insurance programs, but only in certain scenarios.

"The telemedicine format is best used for follow-up monitoring, clarifying conditions, and tracking progress, while the initial consultation should be conducted in person," says Kharina.

At VSK, they believe that the online format itself does not have a significant impact on the price of insurance programs. According to the head of VSK's digital medicine departmentOlga Semenova, economic benefits only emerge when an insurance company builds out a complete digital patient journey.

"A digital pathway can save up to a quarter of the cost of a medical case," notes Semenova.

At the same time, insurers acknowledge that telemedicine helps reduce unnecessary examinations and direct patients more quickly along the appropriate medical pathway.

Ingosstrakh notes that the cost of in-person and remote consultations is practically identical in most cases, so the market doesn't yet see direct savings from telemedicine.

"For us, this is a way to provide convenient service and show care for clients, but offering this service doesn't automatically mean changing the policy price," the company's press service explained.

According to RESO-Garantia's assessment, a financial effect only appears with large-scale replacement of in-person visits with remote ones.

"Telemedicine reduces the cost of purchasing an insurance program only when the pathway for receiving medical care is structured with a focus on maximum replacement of in-person appointments with telemedicine consultations," says Deputy Head of the Medical Insurance Products Department at RESO-GarantiaBoris Boldyrev.

Online consultations don't replace clinics—they sort patient flow

The key function of telemedicine today is not complete replacement of in-person medicine, but redistribution of the burden within the healthcare system.

According to Medical Director of MC "Doktor ryadom"Darya Teshchenkova, the remote format allows "filtering out up to 60% of cases where an in-person appointment isn't needed."

"We're not taking patients away from in-person clinics—we're giving them back time for truly complex cases," Teshchenkova emphasizes.

In practice, telemedicine is especially in demand for chronic conditions, follow-up consultations, test interpretation, and post-treatment patient monitoring.

The most popular online specialists today remain general practitioners, pediatricians, gynecologists, neurologists, endocrinologists, and psychologists. The demand structure is virtually identical across different market players.

At VSK, general practitioners account for about a third of all consultations. At Ingosstrakh, general practitioner consultations make up roughly half of all requests. The psychological care segment is also growing steadily—especially in corporate voluntary health insurance.

Legislation is the market's main brake

Despite growing demand, the telemedicine market remains constrained by Russian legislation. The main problem is that doctors cannot make an initial diagnosis or prescribe prescription treatment without an in-person patient visit.

Boris Zingerman, CEO of the National Medical Knowledge Base association, calls this one of the key barriers to market development.

In effect, online consultations remain largely informational services rather than full-fledged medical appointments. This creates risks for both clinics and doctors.

Darya Teshchenkova points to another problem—the absence of unified federal protocols for liability in cases of telemedicine diagnostic errors.

"As long as this risk remains high, clinics will prefer to play it safe and invite patients for in-person visits," she says.

Another factor is the slow pace of regulatory updates. According to Alina Gubanova, lengthy procedures for obtaining registration certificates for new medical solutions and AI services significantly slow technology adoption.

Still, the market is gradually moving toward easing restrictions. Already, under experimental legal regimes, some companies can remotely adjust treatment and issue electronic prescriptions following an in-person patient visit.

Patients are ready for online care faster than the healthcare system

Surveys show that the main driver of telemedicine development is no longer technology companies, but patients and doctors themselves.

According to VTsIOM data, in 2026 nearly half of Russians would agree to a follow-up online consultation with a doctor if the specialist offered this option after an in-person appointment.

At the same time, trust in remote medicine remains uneven. People over 60 and active television viewers are least ready to transition online.

But the everyday perception of telemedicine is gradually changing as well. While during the pandemic it was a forced measure, it's now becoming an everyday service—similar to online banking or delivery.

This is precisely why the market will most likely continue to grow even if current legislative restrictions remain in place. The question is no longer whether telemedicine will become mainstream, but how quickly the state and insurance-based medicine will manage to adapt to the new format.