What are the CMS list of telehealth services for 2026?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) maintains a complete, continually updated List of Telehealth Services payable under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2026.

Key 2026 Additions and Policy Updates

• New Additions: CMS added five new services permanently to the list for 2026, including multiple-family group psychotherapy (CPT 90849), group behavioral counseling for obesity (HCPCS G0473), an infectious disease add-on code (HCPCS G0545), and auditory osseointegrated sound processor services (CPT 92622 and 92623).
• Transition to Permanent Additions: Starting in CY 2026, CMS only adds services to the Medicare telehealth list on a permanent basis, streamlining the review process.
• RHC and FQHC Billing: Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) can continue to bill for medical telehealth services. From October 1, 2026 onward, they shift from a single general code to reporting individual CPT/HCPCS codes with appropriate modifiers (95 for audio-video, 93 for audio-only).
• Location Flexibility: Geographic and originating-site restrictions remain largely waived or relaxed through late 2027 under current extensions, allowing patients to receive telehealth from home using Place of Service (POS 10) or other locations (POS 02).

Core Categories of Approved Services

The comprehensive 2026 list encompasses hundreds of codes spanning multiple specialties:

• Outpatient Evaluation & Management (E/M): Office visits and standard check-ins (99202–99215, G2211–G2212).
• Behavioral and Mental Health: Individual and group psychotherapy, psychiatric diagnostic evaluations, and substance use disorder services (90832–97158, G2086–G2088).
• Critical Care & Inpatient Consults: Telehealth intensive care and subsequent hospital care elements (99221–99239, G0508–G0509).
• Specialized Care & Education: Chronic pain management, diabetes self-management training (G0108–G0109), and transitional care management.

(Note: While the American Medical Association introduced a separate set of dedicated telehealth E/M codes (98000–98015), CMS has largely declined to recognize them for Medicare reimbursement, instead requiring standard E/M codes paired with synchronous modifiers).

CMS telehealth guidelines for 2026 require providers to use specific place-of-service codes (POS 10 for home, POS 02 for outside home) and standard evaluation and management codes with modifiers, as Medicare does not reimburse most new 2026 CPT telehealth codes.

Place of Service (POS) and Modifiers

• POS 10: Use for telehealth services delivered while the patient is in their home (paid at the non-facility rate).
• POS 02: Use for telehealth services delivered when the patient is not at home.
• Modifier 95: Indicates synchronous telemedicine via real-time audio and video.
• Modifier 93: Indicates synchronous telemedicine via audio-only telephone systems.

CPT Code Reimbursability

• New CPT Codes (98000–98015): Medicare assigns these status indicator "I" and will deny them; providers should instead bill standard office visit codes (99202–99215) with the correct telehealth modifiers and POS codes.
• CPT 98016: This virtual check-in code is the only exception from the new code family that Medicare reimburses.

Supervision and Facility Fees

• Direct Supervision: Supervising practitioners may provide virtual oversight using real-time audio-video technology instead of being physically present.
• Originating Site Fee: Facilities hosting telehealth encounters can bill HCPCS code Q3014, which pays $31.85 for 2026.
• RHC/FQHC Billing: Starting October 1, 2026, Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers must bill individual distant site CPT/HCPCS codes with modifiers rather than the old single G2025 code.

You can check specific eligible procedures on the CMS List of Telehealth Services.

Medicare telehealth coverage has been officially extended through December 31, 2027, via the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026.

Medicare Telehealth Extensions

• Duration: Extended through December 31, 2027.
• Location Rules: Patients can continue receiving non-behavioral telehealth services from any location, including their homes, with no geographic restrictions.
• Provider Types: Eligible distant-site providers continue to include physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists.
• Audio-Only Care: Audio-only platforms remain permitted where clinically appropriate.
• Facility Status: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) can continue serving as distant-site providers.

Controlled Substances Prescription Waivers

• Duration: Extended through December 31, 2026, under joint guidance from the HHS and DEA.
• Requirements: Allows practitioners to prescribe Schedule II–V controlled substances via audio-video telehealth without a prior in-person exam.

Original Medicare Part B covers a wide range of virtual care options, including routine office visits, mental health counseling, and specialized therapy through December 31, 2027.

You can review the complete operational details and guidelines on the Official Telehealth Coverage Guide provided by Medicare.

Covered Services

• Routine & Specialty Care: Office visits with primary care providers and specialists, lab or X-ray result consultations, and prescription management.
• Mental Health Care: Outpatient psychotherapy, psychiatric evaluations, substance abuse treatment, and family counseling.
• Preventive & Chronic Care: Depression screenings, cognitive assessments, advance care planning, and diabetes self-management training.
• Rehabilitation & Therapy: Physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy, as well as cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
• Short Digital Interactions: Virtual check-ins and non-face-to-face online patient portal communications (e-visits).

Costs and Rules

• Location Flexibility: You can access these telehealth services from your home or anywhere in the U.S. without geographic restrictions through December 31, 2027. Audio-only phone calls are also permitted for many visits.
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: After you meet your Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, which is the same as an in-person visit.
• Medicare Advantage Plans: Private Medicare Advantage plans must cover at least what Original Medicare covers, but many offer extra telehealth perks like lower copays. You can review specific service lists through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended major Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027, allowing beneficiaries to continue receiving services without strict geographic or location limits.

Key Current Flexibilities (Active through December 31, 2027)

• Location Freedom: Patients can receive non-behavioral and behavioral telehealth services directly from their home with no geographic restrictions on the originating site.
• Eligible Providers: All eligible Medicare providers may continue furnishing and billing for distant-site telehealth services.
• Audio-Only Access: Non-behavioral and behavioral services can be delivered using audio-only platforms when video technology is unavailable or not consented to by the patient.
• Facility Extensions: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) can continue serving as distant-site providers.
• In-Person Visit Rules: Waived requirements for an in-person visit within six months of starting mental health telehealth services.

Permanent Policy Highlights

• Behavioral Health: Home-based mental health telehealth, zero geographic restrictions, and audio-only delivery for behavioral care are permanently authorized.
• Provider Locations: Practitioners furnishing telehealth from home do not have to report their residential home address on Medicare enrollment applications if they maintain a separate physical practice location.