U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government


A health care provider speaks with a patient with H-I-V through telehealth.

Telehealth for HIV care

Billing for HIV care via telehealth

Learn about policies and reimbursement for 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.

Primary care

CPT/HCPCs codeDescriptionTimePermanent coverage for telehealth
98960Self-management, individual patient30 minNo
98961Self-management training, group (2-4 individuals)30 minNo
98962Self-management training, group (5-8 individuals)30 minNo
98966Telephone call for assessment and management by non-physician5-10 minYes
98967Telephone call for assessment and management by non-physician11-20 minYes
98968Telephone call for assessment and management by non-physician21-30 minYes
99202Outpatient visit (new patient)15-29 minYes
99203Outpatient visit (new patient)30-44 minYes
99204Outpatient visit (new patient)45-59 minYes
99205Outpatient visit (new patient)60-74 minYes
99211Outpatient visit (established patient)5 minYes
99212Outpatient visit (established patient)10-19 minYes
99213Outpatient visit (established patient)20-29 minYes
99214Outpatient visit (established patient)30-39 minYes
99215Outpatient visit (established patient)40-55 minYes
G0438Initial annual wellness visitN/AYes
G0439Subsequent annual wellness visitN/AYes
G0506Comprehensive assessment care planN/AYes
G2212Prolonged outpatient visitAdditional 15 minYes

Disease management

CPT/HCPCs codeDescriptionTimePermanent coverage for telehealth
96156Health behavior assessmentN/AYes
96158Health behavior intervention30 minYes
96159Health behavior interventionAdditional 15 minYes
96160Patient-focused health risk assessment using standardized instrumentN/AYes

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 telehealth — Health Resources and Services Administration

Medicare and Medicaid policies — Health Resources and Services Administration

Medicare payment policies — Health Resources and Services Administration

Telehealth policy — Health Resources and Services Administration

Understanding telehealth policy — National Telehealth Policy Resource Center