Coding for Phone Calls, Internet and Telehealth Consultations

During the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), both federal and commercial payers have added waivers to expand coverage. Each payer will have their end date. As of July 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that they are undertaking two concurrent reviews to explore these waivers' extension.

Important: Effective April 30, CMS Added the Eye visit Codes to the Covered Exams During the COVID-19 PHE:

Documentation requirements remain the same:

• 92002 and 92012 are achievable via virtual face-to-face interaction.
• The place of service is 11 and append modifier -95.
• This expansion of coverage may be unique to CMS.

The time involving staff who are not licensed to practice medicine cannot be billed for or factored into time-based coding options.

Important: Effective April 30, CMS Included the Technician Code 99211 as a Telemedicine Code Option:

Documentation requirements include:

• Applies to new and established patients.
• There must be a documented order from the physician indicating what should be addressed during the staff/patient encounter by phone.