Health Affairs: New Coding Modifier Offers Opportunity to Investigate Audio-Only Telehealth (11/18) – Prior to the pandemic, Medicaid program coverage of audio-only telehealth services was limited. During the early stages of the pandemic, Medicaid beneficiaries were significantly less likely to complete telehealth visits compared to commercially insured patients. In September 2021, the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel accepted the addition of the CPT Modifier 93 code for synchronous audio-only telehealth, and the code became active on January 1, 2022. This article provides an overview of the rationale for and process of creating the CPT Modifier 93 code.
