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Telehealth for direct-to-consumer care

Billing for direct-to-consumer telehealth

Learn about policies and reimbursement for DTC telehealth services.

Medicare

Medicare policies for telehealth continue to evolve. For the latest information, view the list of telehealth services. The following Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes are frequently used to bill for telehealth services. Coding guidance is subject to change.

CPT/HCPCS codeDescriptionTimeAudio-only coveragePermanent coverage for telehealth
98966Telephone call for assessment and management by non-physician5-10 minYesYes
98967Telephone call for assessment and management by non-physician11-20 minYesYes
98968Telephone call for assessment and management by non-physician21-30 minYesYes
99202Outpatient visit (new patient)15-29 minNoYes
99203Outpatient visit (new patient)30-44 minNoYes
99204Outpatient visit (new patient)45-59 minNoYes
99205Outpatient visit (new patient)60-74 minNoYes
99441Telephone call for evaluation and management5-10 minYesNo
99442Telephone call for evaluation and management11-20 minYesNo
99443Telephone call for evaluation and management21-30 minYesNo

Medicaid

Each state has its own billing and reimbursement policies. For tips on Medicaid policies, visit Medicaid and Medicare overview.

Private insurance

Find out if the patient has private insurance. If so, check with the patient's insurance company for information on their billing and reimbursement policies. For tips on private insurance policies, look up policy by jurisdiction.

More information:

Billing for Providers- What should I know? (PDF)— Health Resources and Services Administration

Billing for telehealth — Health Resources and Services Administration

Telehealth policy — Health Resources and Services Administration

Medicare and Medicaid policies — Health Resources and Services Administration

Medicare payment policies — Health Resources and Services Administration

Understanding telehealth policy — National Telehealth Policy Resource Center