Telephone codes 99441–99443 were deleted from the 2025 CPT book.

This post discusses Medicare changes at the START of the PHE.  It is for HISTORICAL REFERENCE ONLY.  Some codes in this post have since been deleted.  This note added 2/17/2025

CMS rules for phone calls has changed during the course of the pandemic.  Prior to the public health emergency these had a status indicator of non-covered.

• CMS will pay for phone calls using codes 99441—99443.  The status indicator was changed to active at the start of the PHE.  This will continue during the PHE.
• 99441–99443 have been added to the telehealth list, so use the place of service that would have been furnished. In most cases, this will be place of service office (11) or outpatient department (19, 22). Since they are now telehealth services, add modifier 95
• CMS  did not add 98966–98968 to the telehealth list
• Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants should use codes 99441—99443
• Other qualified health care professionals who are enrolled with insurances may use for their services, such as registered dietitians, social workers, speech language pathologists and physical and occupational therapists should use codes 98966—98968, but most payers do not pay for these services