Four Telehealth CPT Codes Removed from CMS Medicare Coverage List
Four Telehealth CPT Codes Removed from CMS Medicare Coverage List
CMS will remove the codes from the Category 3 list of approved telehealth services. The services included in the Category 3 section will remain on the Medicare telehealth services list until the end of the calendar year during which the public health emergency (PHE) ends.
CMS added more than 60 telehealth services to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule in December 2020 (CMS, 2020). In addition, CMS included these services to make sure they were covered past the end of the COVID-19 PHE.
Lastly, here are the four CPT telehealth service codes that CMS took off:
- 96121: Neurobehavioral status exam via physician or qualified health professional
- 99221: Initial hospital care
- 99222: Initial hospital care
- 99223: Initial hospital care
For the full description of the removed codes and additional corrections, review the full notice here.
Catch up on the latest news regarding telehealth services, coverage, and how to code these virtual visits in the YES Telehealth Resource Center.
Get the latest COVID-19 medical coding training. This covers the new ICD-10-CM/PCS codes, FAQ advice, treatments, vaccines. The courses also other CMS-targeted COVID-19 training topics. You can also follow our COVID-19 Resource Center for additional updates.
