Telehealth CPT Codes: A Complete Guide for Accurate Telehealth Billing (2025–2026)

Telehealth services aren’t temporary anymore — they have become essential. As digital healthcare improves, virtual services provide greater convenience and enable providers and patients to take a more active role in improving the healthcare system.

So, yes, telehealth has transformed healthcare, but what about billing? It’s still complicated for providers to get reimbursed for the services. So, what’s the biggest mistake that creates a mess in the medical billing part? Telehealth CPT codes. These codes require expertise and a detailed, attentive approach, because even a minor error in assigning CPT codes can delay your payments for weeks or even months.

That is why we created this guide — an ultimate approach for everyone who struggles with using telehealth CPT codes. By 2025, the CMS allocated the new telehealth CPT codes, and in 2026, they added some more. To help you understand what’s changed in 2025–2026, we will define each code in detail so your billing remains smooth and you’ll receive payments on time.

To help you understand which codes we will discuss in this blog, we have just created a quick reference table below;

Telehealth CPT Codes Quick Reference Table

CPT Code	Telehealth Service	Description
98000–98007	Audio-video telehealth visits	Real-time virtual visits using both video and audio communication
98008–98015	Audio-only telehealth visits	Telephone-based telehealth services without video
98016	Brief virtual communication	Short remote interaction between provider and patient
99202–99205	New patient telehealth E/M visits	Evaluation and management visits conducted via telehealth for new patients
99211–99215	Established patient telehealth E/M visits	Follow-up evaluation and management visits delivered remotely
90791–90792	Psychiatric diagnostic evaluations	Mental health assessments performed through telehealth
90832–90837	Psychotherapy services	Individual therapy sessions are conducted virtually
90853	Group psychotherapy	Behavioral health group therapy sessions via telehealth
99421–99423	Online digital e-visits	Patient-initiated consultations through secure patient portals
99453–99458	Remote patient monitoring	Monitoring patient health data through connected medical devices
98975–98981	Remote therapeutic monitoring	Monitoring therapy adherence and treatment progress remotely
99441–99443	Telephone evaluation services	Provider-patient medical discussions conducted by phone

What Are Telehealth CPT Codes?

Telehealth CPT codes are the standardized, alphanumeric codes, such as 98000 and 99015, used with modifiers (95 or GT) and place-of-service codes (02, 10, 11), established by the American Medical Association (AMA).

Providers and telehealth billers use these codes to ensure proper medical documentation that helps payers understand what and where the remote service/s is delivered to the patient.

Why Telehealth CPT Codes Matter in Medical Billing

As we all know, CPT codes matter the most in medical billing — without using these codes, you can’t submit claims, or if you submit, insurance companies instantly reject them.

Hence, the same applies to telehealth services: if you or your biller forgot to add the CPT codes or used the incorrect one — denials happen, a complex process that is already hectic for some providers.

Here, we discuss the top 3 reasons why telehealth CPT codes matter in medical billing.

Standardized Reporting

By using telehealth codes in medical billing, providers maintain the standards for reporting claims — helping insurers know which service to pay for the virtual healthcare provided to the patient. Furthermore, proper use of telehealth codes streamlined billing operations, reduced administrative workload, and eliminated unnecessary delays in the reimbursement process.

Accurate Reimbursement

Before 2025, cpt codes for telehealth billing, many virtual healthcare providers face struggles to receive accurate payments. In 2025 and 2026, when new telehealth codes are established, medical billing becomes easier, as these CPT codes define, even for minor services delivered remotely to the patient. It helps providers receive an accurate reimbursement for what they deserve, eliminating revenue loss.

Regulatory Compliance & Audit Protection

Maintaining compliance with payer-specific guidelines and healthcare regulations, such as HIPAA and PHI, is mandatory. That’s where telehealth CPT codes play their role in medical billing. By using correct, payer-specific CPT codes for telehealth services, practices can maintain compliance with regulations — ultimately protecting their revenue from aggressive payer audits.

Major Telehealth CPT Code Updates (2025–2026)

The 2026 update to telehealth CPT codes doesn’t change the entire 2025 set, but only adds new telehealth codes that focus more on the evaluation and management services structure — especially on audio-video and video-only codes. Let’s discuss why and when you should use these codes.

Audio-Video Telehealth Visit Codes (98000–98007)

The American Medical Association (AMA) created this new telehealth cpt code series (98000–98007) in 2025 and then modified it in 2026.

The series 98000–98007 falls under the Synchronous Audio and Video Evaluation and Management Services, indicating that the telehealth provider performs a synchronous audio-video visit with the patient, meaning a real-time, live video or phone call conversation between the two parties. Further, when you bill 98000–98007 series telehealth CPT codes, ensure you have a live feed conversation and that the call isn’t disconnected to maintain consistency in billing and ensure accurate reimbursements.

However, these codes are also based on the timing of the audio-video session with the patient, so here’s how you can apply these codes when creating claims.

98000: Bill this cpt code when you (telehealth provider) spend 15 or more minutes on an audio-video call with the new patient to understand their health issues, checking medical history, reviewing records, and making recommendations. Further, ensure that the visit is performed on a single date of service; you can’t use this code.

Now, all code series are used in the same situation; what differs is the timing of the call. So, here we show the time, whether the patient is new or established, and the type of e/m service to ensure accurate payments.

CPT Code	Patient Type	Time Spent	Medical Decision Making	Simple Explanation
98001	New patient	30+ minutes	Straightforward	First-time patient, routine issues, ~30 minutes on the call
98002	New patient	45+ minutes	Low	First-time patient, slightly more complex issues, ~45 minutes
98003	New patient	60+ minutes	Moderate	First-time patient, moderately complex issues, ~60 minutes
98004	New patient	10+ minutes	High	First-time patient, very complex issues, ~10 minutes
98005	Established patient	20+ minutes	Straightforward	Follow-up patient, routine issues, ~20 minutes
98006	Established patient	30+ minutes	Moderate	Follow-up patient, moderately complex issues, ~30 minutes
98007	Established patient	40+ minutes	High	Follow-up patient, very complex issues, ~40 minutes

Audio-Only Telehealth Visit Codes (98008–98015)

The audio-only telehealth visit codes were established by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2025 and are still in effect in 2026. These telehealth visit code series range from 98008 to 98015 for those providers who conduct synchronous audio-only sessions with patients via any telehealth software.

The 98008 audio-only telehealth code is used when the provider conducts a real-time audio call with the patient and spends more than 10 minutes discussing medical matters. Throughout the call, the provider discusses the patient’s condition and health issues and reviews medical reports to make a straightforward medical decision — ensuring it is made on the same day of the patient’s audio visit.

Hence, the whole series refers to the same idea – an audio-only session with patients. Here’s what you must consider before applying these telehealth codes.

CPT Code	Patient Type	Time Spent	Medical Decision Making	Simple Explanation
98009	New patient	30+ minutes	Low	First-time patient, audio-only visit, low complexity, ~30 minutes
98010	New patient	45+ minutes	Moderate	First-time patient, audio-only visit, moderate complexity, ~45 minutes
98011	New patient	60+ minutes	High	First-time patient, audio-only visit, high complexity, ~60 minutes
98012	Established patient	10+ minutes	Straightforward	Follow-up patient, audio-only visit, routine issues, ~10 minutes
98013	Established patient	20+ minutes	Low	Follow-up patient, audio-only visit, low complexity, ~20 minutes
98014	Established patient	30+ minutes	Moderate	Follow-up patient, audio-only visit, moderate complexity, ~30 minutes
98015	Established patient	40+ minutes	High	Follow-up patient, audio-only visit, high complexity, ~40 minutes

Brief Virtual Communication Code (98016)

The 98016 telehealth CPT code falls under the brief virtual communication care — indicates that a physician or qualified healthcare provider conducts a synchronous audio-video or audio-only session. The service was only provided to established patients for a brief discussion about their medications or any new health symptoms — it took around 5-10 minutes.

Common Telehealth CPT Codes Used by Healthcare Providers

Evaluation and Management Telehealth CPT Codes

In 2026, nothing changes in evaluation and management CPT codes for remote services, as the old one still required by Medicare insurance payers. As they don’t accept the 98000 series.

So, if you bill to Medicare, remember to use the 99202–99205, 99211–99215 series codes for e/m services, along with appropriate indicators/modifiers, to avoid billing discrepancies and ensure accurate, on-time payments.

CPT Code	Patient Type	Simple Explanation
99202	New Patient	A new patient telehealth visit with simple medical decision-making usually takes about 15 minutes or more.
99203	New Patient	A new patient telehealth visit with low-level medical decision-making usually takes about 30 minutes or more.
99204	New Patient	A new patient telehealth visit with moderate medical decision-making usually takes about 45 minutes or more.
99205	New Patient	A new patient telehealth visit with high-level medical decision-making usually takes about 60 minutes or more.
99211	Established Patient	A very brief visit for an existing patient, which may not require the physician’s direct presence.
99212	Established Patient	An existing patient telehealth visit with simple medical decision-making typically takes 10 minutes or longer.
99213	Established Patient	An existing patient telehealth visit with low-level medical decision-making usually takes about 20 minutes or more.
99214	Established Patient	An existing patient telehealth visit with moderate medical decision-making typically takes 30 minutes or longer.
99215	Established Patient	An existing patient telehealth visit with high-level medical decision-making usually takes about 40 minutes or more.

Online Digital Evaluation (E-Visit) CPT Codes (99421–99423)

Online digital evaluation e-visit cpt code series ranges from 99421 to 99423, indicating that the provider or physician delivers e/m services via a digital platform. It’s not like a synchronous video-audio or audio-only visit, but it’s asynchronous — the provider receives a message via the portal from an established patient and then assists them based on their availability.

99421: Used for an established patient online visit of cumulative time around five to 10 minutes
99422: 11 to 20 minutes
99423: 21+ minutes of digital evaluation

Telehealth Billing Modifiers and Place of Service (POS)

To bill telehealth services, practices/providers must use the correct modifiers and place-of-service (POS) codes that indicate where the service is delivered to the patient.

Modifier 95

Use modifier 95 to indicate synchronous audio-video telehealth visits.

Modifier 93

Use modifier 93 to indicate that audio-only telephone visits.

Modifier GT

Modifier GT is the old one, but it is still used by the Medicaid program, which indicates interactive telehealth communication between the provider and the patient.

Place of Service Codes

POS 02 indicates that the service is delivered outside the home — means the patient isn’t at their home.

POS 10 indicates that the telemedicine service is delivered when the patient stays at their home.

Telehealth CPT Codes Covered by Medicare

Remember that not all CPT codes are approved by Medicare, even if they are established by the AMA (American Medical Association). Here’s what Medicare telehealth CPT codes are;

Office visit codes series (99202–99215)
Psychotherapy CPT codes (90832, 90833, 90834, 90837)
Behavioral Health CPT codes (90791, 90792, 90853)
Remote Patient Monitoring CPT codes (99453, 99454, 99457, 99458)
Remote Therapeutic Monitoring CPT Codes (98975, 98976, 98977, 98980, 98981)
Mental Health Telehealth Codes (90791, 90792, 90832, 90834, 90837)

Note: These CPT codes are based on payer-specific policies, documentation criteria, and health insurance companies’ reimbursement plans.

Simplify Your Telehealth Billing With Expert Support

Selecting the right telehealth CPT codes could be challenging and complex for providers, but not anymore. Partner with eClaim Solution, which offers reliable, affordable telehealth billing services to reduce denials and increase your revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions About Telehealth CPT Codes

What CPT codes are used for telehealth visits?

For telehealth visits, use standard E/M codes 99202–99205, 99211–99215, and the appropriate modifiers (93/95/GT) to ensure faster, more accurate reimbursement. Besides these, if you submit bills to commercial or Medicaid payers, use the new CPT code series (98000–98007) for audio-video visits, (98008–98015) for audio-only visits, and 98016 for brief communication.

What is the new telehealth CPT code series?

The American Medical Association (AMA) created the new CPT series code in 2025 and modified it in 2026 to help telehealth providers get reimbursed for even 5–10 minute sessions. By replacing all the older codes, they add only one new telehealth CPT code series, which ranges from 98000 to 98016, to record the time-based evaluation and management services for new and established patients.

What modifier is used with telehealth CPT codes?

With telehealth CPT codes, you can use modifier 93, 95, and GT (the old one, but it’s still Medicaid-approved). By using accurate modifiers, telehealth providers can get full reimbursements for their rendered services.

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