Ateev Mehrotra, the researcher the telehealth lobby loves to hate, isn’t backing down

WASHINGTON — He hardly seems the part of the telehealth industry’s public enemy No. 1. He’s unassuming, self-effacing, soft-spoken, with the bearing of a professor.

But as telehealth lobbyists seize on this moment years after pandemic lockdowns to win new protections and incentives from Capitol Hill, Ateev Mehrotra is the industry’s chief critic — determined to warn congressional committees that the booming virtual care business comes with tradeoffs. 

Mehrotra, a physician and academic, is a seasoned congressional witness, often presenting the results of painstaking examinations of health care costs and quality in front of powerful legislative panels. But as Washington takes a hard look at telehealth and its impact on Medicare spending, his opinions have not always endeared him to advocates.

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