Live Video
Effective October 1, 2026
For dates of service on or after October 1, 2026, RHCs and FQHCs shall bill the individual Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) or HCPCS codes that describe the distant site telehealth service furnished, instead of the single HCPCS code G2025. These codes are published annually on the CMS webpage along with the calendar year PFS rulemaking.
RHCs and FQHCs shall report the appropriate revenue code along with one of the following modifiers: •
- 93 -Synchronous Telemedicine Service Rendered Via Telephone or Other Real-Time Interactive Audio-Only Telecommunications System
- 95 – Synchronous Telemedicine Service Rendered via a Real-Time Interactive Audio and Video Telecommunications System
SOURCE: CMS Change Request #14468 (May 27, 2026). (Accessed Aug. 2026).
CMS will extend for one additional year the ability for FQHCs and RHCs to bill for medical visit services (non-behavioral health services) provided via telecommunications technology, including those furnished via audio-only. FQHCs and RHCs should continue to use G2025 through December 31, 2026, and the payment amount will continue to be calculated based on the PFS and weighted by volume, not the FQHC/RHC’s regular Prospective Payment System (PPS) rate or All-Inclusive Rate (AIR). While CMS considered revisions that would allow medical visit services furnished via telecommunication technology to be paid at PPS/AIR rates, similar to allowances for mental health visits, they determined this route may lead to additional cost pressures.
CMS requires for mental health services provided by an FQHC/RHC via telecommunications technology, starting October 1, 2025, that an in-person mental health service be furnished within 6 months prior to the furnishing of telecommunications service and also every 12 months thereafter while the patient is receiving services via telecommunications technology, unless the provider and patient agree that the risks and burdens of meeting this requirement outweigh the benefits with doing the in-person visit.
SOURCE: CMS 2026 Final Physician Fee Schedule, pg. 674-677, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Before March 27, 2020, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) were not permitted to serve as distant sites for telehealth consultations, meaning they could not bill for these visits or include their costs in the cost report.
CMS introduced a new HCPCS code G2025, which allows payment for non-behavioral telehealth services provided when RHCs or FQHCs serve as the distant site. RHCs and FQHCs can temporarily continue offering non-behavioral health visits via telecommunication technology under the existing methodology established during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) until December 31, 2025, or later date if extended. Specifically, they can bill for services delivered through telecommunication technology by using HCPCS code G2025 on claims, which includes services provided through audio-only communications technology until December 31, 2025, or later date if extended.
Beginning January 1, 2023, RHCs and FQHCs may report and receive payment for mental health visits furnished via telehealth. These services are billed in the same manner as in-person visits, rather than using HCPCS code G2025.
SOURCE: CMS, Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Medicare Claims Processing Manual Ch. 9, Update, 12/18/25, pg. 38 (Accessed Aug. 2026).
How does CMS make payment for telehealth services furnished in RHCs and FQHCs? Can Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) continue to serve as distant sites for the provision of telehealth services?
Any behavioral health service furnished by an RHC or FQHC on or after January 1, 2022 through telecommunications technology is paid under the All Inclusive Rate (AIR) and Prospective Payment System (PPS), respectively. Through December 31, 2027, RHCs and FQHCs may continue to bill for non-behavioral health services furnished through telecommunications technology by reporting HCPCS code G2025 on the claim. The home and any geographic location may continue to serve as a distant site and originating site for beneficiaries receiving telecommunications services furnished by RHCs and FQHCs.
Will in-person visit requirements apply to behavioral health services furnished by professionals through Medicare telehealth? What about behavioral health services furnished remotely by hospital staff to beneficiaries in their homes, or behavioral health visits furnished by RHCs, and FQHCs where the patient is present virtually?
… For behavioral health visits furnished by RHCs and FQHCs where the patient is present virtually, in-person visit requirements will continue to not apply until at least until January 1, 2028.
SOURCE: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Telehealth FAQs, Updated 2/26/26, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Temporary Policy – Ends Dec. 31, 2027
During the emergency period described in section 1320b–5(g)(1)(B) of this title and, in the case that such emergency period ends before December 31, 2024, during the period beginning on the first day after the end of such emergency period and ending on December 31, 2027—
- the Secretary shall pay for telehealth services that are furnished via a telecommunications system by a Federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic to an eligible telehealth individual enrolled under this part notwithstanding that the Federally qualified health center or rural clinic providing the telehealth service is not at the same location as the beneficiary;
- the amount of payment to a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic that serves as a distant site for such a telehealth service shall be determined under subparagraph (B); and
- for purposes of this subsection—
- the term “distant site” includes a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic that furnishes a telehealth service to an eligible telehealth individual; and
- the term “telehealth services” includes a rural health clinic service or Federally qualified health center service that is furnished using telehealth to the extent that payment codes corresponding to services identified by the Secretary under clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (4)(F) are listed on the corresponding claim for such rural health clinic service or Federally qualified health center service.
SOURCE: Social Security Act, Sec. 1834(m) (Title 42, Sec. 1395m) as amended by HR 7148 (2026 Session). (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Mental Health Visit – Delayed to Jan. 1, 2028 By HR 7148 (Policy Manual Not Updated to Reflect this Change)
A mental health visit is a medically-necessary face-to-face encounter between an RHC or FQHC patient and an RHC or FQHC practitioner during which time one or more RHC or FQHC mental health services are rendered. Effective January 1, 2022, a mental health visit is a face-to-face encounter or an encounter furnished using interactive, real-time, audio and video telecommunications technology or audio-only interactions in cases where the patient is not capable of, or does not consent to, the use of video technology for the purposes of diagnosis, evaluation or treatment of a mental health disorder.
The requirement that there must be an in-person mental health service furnished within 6 months prior to the furnishing of the mental health service furnished via telecommunications and that an in-person mental health service (without the use of telecommunications technology) must be provided at least every 12 months while the beneficiary is receiving services furnished via telecommunications technology for diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of mental health disorders, unless, for a particular 12-month period, the physician or practitioner and patient agree that the risks and burdens outweigh the benefits associated with furnishing the in-person item or service, and the practitioner documents the reasons for this decision in the patient’s medical record will not apply to services furnished before January 31, 2026.
RHCs and FQHCs are instructed to append modifier 95 (Synchronous Telemedicine Service Rendered via Real-Time Interactive Audio and Video Telecommunications System) in instances where the mental health visit was furnished using audio-video communication technology and to append modifier 93 (Synchronous Telemedicine Service Rendered Via Telephone or Other Real-Time Interactive Audio-Only Telecommunications System) in cases where the service was furnished using audio only communication.
Mental health services that qualify as stand-alone billable visits in an FQHC are listed on the FQHC center website, http://www.cms.gov/Center/ProviderType/FederallyQualified-Health-Centers-FQHC- Center.html. Services furnished must be within the practitioner’s state scope of practice.
Medicare-covered mental health services furnished incident to an RHC or FQHC visit are included in the payment for a medically necessary mental health visit when an RHC or FQHC practitioner furnishes a mental health visit. Group mental health services do not meet the criteria for a one-one-one, face-to-face encounter in an FQHC or RHC.
Note: Beginning January 1, 2024, group therapy with physicians or psychologists or other mental health professionals to the extent authorized under State law may be covered and paid under the IOP benefit (see section 250 of this chapter).
A mental health service should be reported using a valid HCPCS code for the service furnished, a mental health revenue code, and for FQHCs, an appropriate FQHC mental health payment code. For detailed information on reporting mental health services and claims processing, see Pub. 100-04, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, chapter 9, http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and- Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/clm104c09.pdf
Medication management, or a psychotherapy “add on” service, is not a separately billable service in an RHC or FQHC and is included in the payment of an RHC or FQHC medical visit. For example, when a medically-necessary medical visit with an RHC or FQHC practitioner is furnished, and on the same day medication management or a psychotherapy add on service is also furnished by the same or a different RHC or FQHC practitioner, only one payment is made for the qualifying medical services reported with a medical revenue code. For FQHCs, an FQHC mental health payment code is not required for reporting medication management or a psychotherapy add on service furnished on the same day as a medical service.
On March 27, 2020, Congress signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Section 3704 of the CARES Act authorized RHCs and FQHCs to provide distant site telehealth services to Medicare patients during the COVID-19 PHE. Section 4113 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, extended this authority through December 31, 2024 and section 2207(c) of the Full- Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 amended section 1834(m)(8) of the Act to continue payment for RHC and FQHC services as Medicare telehealth services through September 30, 2025. Most recently, section 6208 of the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 extended these services through January 30, 2026.
However, through regulation, CMS provides payment to RHCs and FQHCs when they furnish non-behavioral health visits via telecommunication technology, through December 31, 2026. That is, on a temporary basis, RHCs and FQHCs are paid under the methodology that has been in place for these services during and after the COVID19 PHE through December 31, 2026. Specifically, RHCs and FQHCs can bill for RHC and FQHC services furnished using telecommunication technology by reporting HCPCS code G2025 on the claim, including services furnished using audio-only communications technology through December 31, 2026. Payment for HCPCS code G2025 is based on the average amount for all PFS telehealth services on the telehealth list, weighted by volume for those services reported under the PFS. RHC and FQHC practitioners can provide distant site telehealth services – approved by Medicare as a distant site telehealth service under the physician fee schedule (PFS) – from any location in the United States (see 42 CFR 411.9(a)(1)), including their home, during the time that they’re employed by or under contract with the RHC or FQHC.
SOURCE: CMS, Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 13 Update, 2/20/26, pg. 43-44,47, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
RHCs and FQHCs can continue to provide on a temporary basis, for non-behavioral health visits furnished via telecommunication technology under the methodology that has been in place for these services during and after the COVID-19 PHE through December 31, 2024. Specifically, RHCs and FQHCs can continue to bill for RHC and FQHC services furnished using telecommunication technology by reporting HCPCS code G2025 on the claim, including services furnished using audio-only communications technology through December 31, 2025. For payment for non-behavioral health visits furnished via telecommunication technology in CY 2025, the payment amount is based on the average amount for all PFS telehealth services on the telehealth list, weighted by volume for those services reported under the PFS
SOURCE: CMS Manual System, Transmittal 13133, March 20, 2025, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
We’ll continue to pay RHCs and FQHCs for:
- Non-behavioral and non-mental telehealth services through September 30, 2025, using the national average payment rates for comparable services under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) through December 31, 2026
- Behavioral and mental health telehealth services under the RHC all-inclusive rate (AIR) and FQHC Prospective Payment System (PPS), respectively
SOURCE: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Telehealth Services MLN Fact Sheet, Dec. 2025, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
RHCs and FQHCs can provide telecommunications for mental health visits using audio-video technology and audio-only technology. You may use audio-only technology in situations when your patient can’t access or doesn’t consent to use audio-video technology. You can report and get paid in the same way as in-person visits.
- Audio-video visits: Use modifier 95 (Synchronous Telemedicine Service Rendered via Real-Time Interactive Audio and Video Telecommunications System).
- Audio-only visits: Use new service-level modifier FQ or 93.
These in-person visit requirements apply only to a patient getting mental health visits via telecommunications at home:
- There must be an in-person mental health visit 6 months before the telecommunications visit
- In general, there must be an in-person mental health visit at least every 12 months while the patient is getting services from you via telecommunications to diagnose, evaluate, or treat mental health disorders
NOTE: Section 4113 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2023, delayed the in-person visit requirements under Medicare for mental health visits that RHCs and FQHCs provide via telecommunications technology. For RHCs and FQHCs, we won’t require in-person visits until January 1, 2025.
CMS will allow for limited exceptions to the requirement for an in-person visit every 12 months based on patient circumstances in which the risks and burdens of an in-person visit may outweigh the benefit. These include, but aren’t limited to, when:
- An in-person visit is likely to cause disruption in service delivery or has the potential to worsen the patient’s condition
- The patient getting services is in partial or full remission and only needs maintenance level care
- The clinician’s professional judgment says that the patient is clinically stable and that an in-person visit has the risk of worsening the patient’s condition, creating undue hardship on self or family
- The patient is at risk of withdrawing from care that’s been effective in managing the illness
With proper documentation, the in-person visit requirement isn’t applicable for that 12-month period. You must document the circumstance in the patient’s medical record.
SOURCE: Mental Health Visits via Telecommunications for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers, MLN Matters SE22001, (May 23, 2023), (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Telehealth substitutes for an in-person visit and generally involves 2-way, interactive technology that permits communication between the practitioner and patient. FQHCs can provide telehealth to extend care when a patient is in a different place.
During the COVID-19 PHE, we used emergency waivers and other regulatory authorities so you could provide more services to your patients via telehealth. Learn more about Medicare telehealth services, including technology and other requirements
You may continue to bill for telehealth services using HCPCS code G2025. We’ll base the payment amount using the national average amount payment rates for comparable services under the PFS through December 31, 2026.
You may use 2-way, interactive, audio-only technology for telehealth visits if the distant site provider is technically capable of using an audio-video telehealth system but the patient isn’t capable of, or doesn’t consent to, using video technology. You don’t need any additional documentation except to append the FQ modifier on the claim.
SOURCE: Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, Medicare Learning Network Booklet 6397, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Mar. 2026, & MLN Booklet 6398, Rural Health Clinics, Jan. 2026, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
We pay for mental health visits using telehealth in the same way as face-to-face services. The changes also allow you to use audio-only telehealth in cases where patients can’t, or don’t consent to, using audio-video telehealth. You can report and get paid in the same way as in-person visits.
SOURCE: Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, Medicare Learning Network Booklet 6397, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Mar. 2026, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
We may cover these behavioral health and wellness services:
- Depression screening through telehealth
- Digital mental health treatment (DMHT) devices provided “incident to” professional behavioral health services used along with ongoing treatment under a behavioral health treatment plan or therapy plan of care.
- The billing practitioner must prescribe or order the DMHT device that’s been cleared under section 510(k) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act
- The patient can use the DMHT device at home or in an outpatient setting, if that’s how FDA classified the device for use under 21 CFR 882.5801
- Telehealth, defined as 2-way, interactive, audio-video technology, to diagnose, evaluate, or treat certain mental health or SUDs if the patient is in their home. Practitioners must be able to provide 2-way, real-time, audio-video technology services but may use audio-only technology given an individual patient’s technological limitations, abilities, or preferences. We cover telehealth for behavioral and mental health on a permanent basis.
Starting October 1, 2025, in-person visit requirements will apply for mental health services provided by telehealth. This includes a required in-person visit within the 6 months before the initial telehealth treatment, as well as the required subsequent in-person visits at least every 12 months.
Telehealth also applies to mental health services provided by Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). For RHCs and FQHCs, we don’t require the in-person visit for mental health services provided through telehealth to patients in their homes until January 1, 2026.
The regulations at 42 CFR 410.78(b)(3)(xiv) describe 2 exceptions to the in-person requirements that take effect on October 1, 2025:
- Patients who already get telehealth behavioral health services and have circumstances where in-person care may not be appropriate
- Groups with limited availability for in-person behavioral health visits have the flexibility to arrange for practitioners to provide in-person and telehealth visits with different practitioners, based on availability.
SOURCE: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare Learning Network Booklet 1986542, Medicare & Mental Health Coverage, Apr. 2025, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Supervision
For services provided under direct supervision, the requirement that the supervising physician or practitioner must be immediately available to provide assistance and direction throughout the procedure may be satisfied through virtual presence using real-time, interactive audio and video telecommunications.
SOURCE: CMS, Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 13 Update, 2/20/26, pg. 37, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
“Direct supervision” means the physician or other supervising practitioner must be present in the FQHC/RHC (but not in the same room as the service) and immediately available to furnish assistance and direction through the performance of the service to include virtual presence through audio-video real-time communication (excludes audio-only).
SOURCE: CMS 2026 Final Physician Fee Schedule, pg. 671, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
* The US Health and Human Services Administration maintains a website that summarizes information for Billing Medicare as a safety-net provider.
See: Federal Medicare Live Video
Store and Forward
Care coordination services are RHC and FQHC services and include transitional care management (TCM), chronic care management (CCM), principal care management (PCM), chronic pain management (CPM), general behavioral health integration (BHI), Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM), Community Health Integration (CHI), Principal Illness Navigation (PIN), Principal Illness Navigation Peer Support (PIN-PS), Advanced Primary Care Management (APCM) and psychiatric collaborative care model (CoCM) services.
The RHC and FQHC face-to-face requirements are waived for these care management services. Effective January 1, 2017, care management services furnished by auxiliary personnel may be furnished under general supervision. (Note: General supervision does not require the RHC or FQHC practitioner to be in the same building or immediately available, but it does require the services to be furnished under the overall supervision and control of the RHC or FQHC practitioner.) Except for TCM services, care management services are paid separately from the RHC AIR or FQHC PPS.
Prior to January 1, 2022, RHCs and FQHCs could not bill for care management services for a beneficiary if another practitioner or facility had already billed for care management services for the same beneficiary during the same time period. Effective January 1, 2022, RHCs and FQHCs may bill for care management and TCM services and other care management services (outside of the RHC AIR or FQHC PPS), for the same beneficiary during the same time period. Coinsurance and deductibles are applied as applicable to RHC claims, and coinsurance is applied as applicable to FQHC claims.
Effective January 1, 2025, RHCs and FQHCs are required to bill the individual codes that make up the general care management HCPCS code, G0511. RHCs and FQHCs must report the individual CPT/HCPCS base codes and add-on codes (as necessary) for each of the care coordination services which replaced the reporting of HCPCS code G0511.
Note: Effective January 1, 2026, RHCs and FQHCs can bill care coordination services established under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) as designated care management services. The care coordination codes can be found in the table entitled Designated Care Management Services, which is published annually with the PFS Final Rule Addenda on the CMS website. Care coordination services are paid separately and should meet all of the billing requirements. Except for TCM services, which can be an RHC or FQHC visit (see section 230.1 of this Chapter).
See manual for details.
SOURCE: CMS, Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 13 Update, 2/20/26, pg. 58-59, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Also see Virtual Communications section below.
See: Federal Medicare Store-and-forward
Remote Patient Monitoring
Services such as RPM are not separately billable because they are already included in the RHC AIR or FQHC PPS payment.
SOURCE: CY 2020 Final Physician Fee Schedule. CMS, p. 432, (Accessed Mar. 2026).
General Care Management Services include: Chronic Care Management (CCM), Principal Care Management (PCM), Chronic Pain Management (CPM), General Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) services, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM), Community Health Integration (CHI), Principal Illness Navigation (PIN), PIN Peer-Support (PIN-PS) and General Care Management. See manual for details.
SOURCE: CMS, Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 13 Update, 2/20/26, pg. 58-62, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
CMS will include the CPT codes related to RPM and RTM in the general care management code HCPCS G0511 which will provide FQHCs/RHCs payment for RTM and RPM services. CMS noted that these services are similar to the nonface-to-face requirements for general care management services and reflect the additional resources needed to provide such services by an FQHC/RHC.
SOURCE: Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CY 2024 Physician Fee Schedule, Final Rule, CMS 1784-F, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Care coordination services are listed in FQHC manual including:
- Transitional care management (TCM), chronic care management (CCM), advanced primary care management (APCM), general behavioral health integration (BHI), principal care management (PCM), chronic pain management (CPM), psychiatric collaborative care model (CoCM) services, remote physiologic monitoring (RPM), remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM), community health integration (CHI), principal illness navigation (PIN), and PIN-Peer Support (PIN-PS).
SOURCE: Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, Medicare Learning Network Booklet 6397, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Mar. 2026, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
See: Federal Medicare Remote Patient Monitoring
Audio-Only
Temporary Policy – Ends Dec. 31, 2027
During the emergency period described in section 1320b–5(g)(1)(B) of this title and, in the case that such emergency period ends before December 31, 2024, during the period beginning on the first day after the end of such emergency period and ending on December 31, 2027—
- the Secretary shall pay for telehealth services that are furnished via a telecommunications system by a Federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic to an eligible telehealth individual enrolled under this part notwithstanding that the Federally qualified health center or rural clinic providing the telehealth service is not at the same location as the beneficiary;
- the amount of payment to a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic that serves as a distant site for such a telehealth service shall be determined under subparagraph (B); and
- for purposes of this subsection—
- the term “distant site” includes a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic that furnishes a telehealth service to an eligible telehealth individual; and
- the term “telehealth services” includes a rural health clinic service or Federally qualified health center service that is furnished using telehealth to the extent that payment codes corresponding to services identified by the Secretary under clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (4)(F) are listed on the corresponding claim for such rural health clinic service or Federally qualified health center service.
SOURCE: Social Security Act, Sec. 1834(m) (Title 42, Sec. 1395m) as amended by HR 7148 (2026 Session). (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Mental Health Visit – Delayed to Jan. 1, 2028
A mental health visit is a medically-necessary face-to-face encounter between an RHC or FQHC patient and an RHC or FQHC practitioner during which time one or more RHC or FQHC mental health services are rendered. Effective January 1, 2022, a mental health visit is a face-to-face encounter or an encounter furnished using interactive, real-time, audio and video telecommunications technology or audio-only interactions in cases where the patient is not capable of, or does not consent to, the use of video technology for the purposes of diagnosis, evaluation or treatment of a mental health disorder.
The requirement that there must be an in-person mental health service furnished within 6 months prior to the furnishing of the mental health service furnished via telecommunications and that an in-person mental health service (without the use of telecommunications technology) must be provided at least every 12 months while the beneficiary is receiving services furnished via telecommunications technology for diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of mental health disorders, unless, for a particular 12-month period, the physician or practitioner and patient agree that the risks and burdens outweigh the benefits associated with furnishing the in-person item or service, and the practitioner documents the reasons for this decision in the patient’s medical record will notapply to services furnished before January 31, 2026.
RHCs and FQHCs are instructed to append modifier 95 (Synchronous Telemedicine Service Rendered via Real-Time Interactive Audio and Video Telecommunications System) in instances where the mental health visit was furnished using audio-video communication technology and to append modifier 93 (Synchronous Telemedicine Service Rendered Via Telephone or Other Real-Time Interactive Audio-Only Telecommunications System) in cases where the service was furnished using audioonly communication.
Mental health services that qualify as stand-alone billable visits in an FQHC are listed on the FQHC center website, http://www.cms.gov/Center/Provider-Type/FederallyQualified-Health-Centers-FQHC- Center.html. Services furnished must be within the practitioner’s state scope of practice.
Medicare-covered mental health services furnished incident to an RHC or FQHC visit are included in the payment for a medically necessary mental health visit when an RHC or FQHC practitioner furnishes a mental health visit. Group mental health services do not meet the criteria for a one-one-one, face-to-face encounter in an FQHC or RHC.
SOURCE: CMS, Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 13 Update, 2/20/26 pg. 43-44, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
We may cover these behavioral health and wellness services:
- Caregiver training services when a physician, non-physician practitioner (NPP), or therapist provides them as part of the patient’s individualized treatment plan or therapy plan of care. You can provide these through telehealth.
- Depression screening up to 15 minutes annually, when staff-assisted depression care supports can ensure accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and follow-up. At a minimum, staff-assisted support is clinical staff in a primary care setting who can advise the physician of screening results and coordinate treatment referrals. You can provide this through telehealth.
- Digital mental health treatment (DMHT) devices provided “incident to” professional behavioral health services used along with ongoing treatment under a behavioral health treatment plan or therapy plan of care.
- The billing practitioner must prescribe or order the DMHT device that FDA has cleared under section 510(k) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act or granted De Novo authorization, and in each case classified at 21 CFR 882.5801 or 21 CFR 882.5803. The billing practitioner also must incur the cost of providing the DMHT device to the patient as a supply.
- TA physician or other practitioner who’s authorized to diagnose, evaluate and treat a mental health disorder may prescribe or order a DMHT device, as permitted under the device’s FDA clearance in accordance with state prescriptive authority and may report HCPCS code G0552. The patient can use the DMHT device at home or in an outpatient setting, if that’s how FDA classified the device.
- The patient must have a mental health condition diagnosis, but the billing practitioner doesn’t need to be the practitioner who made the diagnosis.
- Telehealth—defined as 2-way, interactive, audio-video technology—to diagnose, evaluate, or treat certain mental health or SUDs if the patient is in their home. Practitioners must be able to provide 2-way, real-time, audio-video technology services but may use audio-only technology given an individual patient’s technological limitations, abilities, or preferences. We cover telehealth for behavioral and mental health on a permanent basis.
- Tobacco use cessation counseling, 2 cessation attempts per year (each attempt may include a maximum of 4 intermediate or intensive sessions, with the patient getting up to 8 sessions per year). You can provide these through telehealth.
SOURCE: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare Learning Network Booklet 1986542, Medicare & Mental Health Coverage, Mar 2026, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
RHCs and FQHCs can provide telecommunications for mental health visits using audio-video technology and audio-only technology. Use audio-only technology in situations when the patient can’t access or doesn’t consent to use audio-video technology. They can report and get paid in the same way as in-person visits.
Audio-only visits: Use new service-level modifier FQ or 93.
SOURCE: Mental Health Visits via Telecommunications for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers, MLN Matters SE22001, (May 23, 2023), (Accessed Mar. 2026).
We permanently adopted the definition of direct supervision, which allows the supervising practitioner to provide supervision through a virtual presence using real-time, audio-visual communications technology, excluding audio-only.
Telehealth substitutes for an in-person visit and generally involves 2-way, interactive technology that permits communication between the practitioner and patient. FQHCs can provide telehealth to extend care when a patient is in a different place.
You may continue to bill for telehealth services using HCPCS code G2025. We’ll base the payment amount using the national average amount payment rates for comparable services under the PFS through December 31, 2026.
You may use 2-way, interactive, audio-only technology for telehealth visits if the distant site provider is technically capable of using an audio-video telehealth system but the patient isn’t capable of, or doesn’t consent to, using video technology. You don’t need any additional documentation except to append the FQ modifier on the claim.
We pay for mental health visits using telehealth in the same way as face-to-face services. You may also use audio-only telehealth in cases where patients can’t, or don’t consent to, using audio-video telehealth. You can report and get paid in the same way as in-person visits.
Modifiers include 93 audio only.
SOURCE: Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, Medicare Learning Network Booklet 6397, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Mar. 2026, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Mental health visit includes audio-only interaction in cases where beneficiaries are not capable of, or do not consent to, the use of devices that permit a two-way, audio/video interaction for the purposes of diagnosis, evaluation or treatment of a mental health disorder.
RHCs and FQHCs can report and be paid for furnishing those visits in the same way they currently do when these services are furnished in-person. RHCs and FQHCs will be paid for mental health visits furnished via telecommunications technology at the same rate they are paid for in-person mental health visits (that is, the AIR or FQHC PPS).
There must be an in-person mental health service furnished within 6 months prior to the furnishing of the telecommunications service and that in general, there must be an in-person mental health service (without the use of telecommunications technology) must be provided at least every 12 months while the beneficiary is receiving services furnished via telecommunications technology for diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of mental health disorders. This applies only to patients receiving services at home. If the patient and practitioner consider the risks and burdens of an in-person service and agree that, on balance, these outweigh the benefits, and the practitioner documents the basis for that decision in the patient’s medical record, then the in-person visit requirement is not applicable for that 12-month period.
In person requirement delayed under Medicare until on or after January 1, 2028.
SOURCE: CY 2022 Physician Fee Schedule, CMS, p. 214-215 & delay in implementation in HR 7148 (2026 Session). (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Virtual Communications
Medicare waives the RHC and FQHC face-to-face requirements when an RHC or FQHC furnishes communication technology-based services (may include audio-only/telephone) to an RHC or FQHC patient. RHCs and FQHCs receive payment for communication technology-based services or remote evaluation services when an RHC or FQHC practitioner provides at least 5 minutes of communications-based technology or remote evaluation services to a patient who has been seen in the RHC or FQHC within the previous year.
SOURCE: Medicare Learning Network Matters Factsheet, MM10843, Aug. 10, 2018, & Virtual Communication Services RHCs and FQHCs FAQs, December 2018, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
General Care Management Services include: Chronic Care Management (CCM), Principal Care Management (PCM), Chronic Pain Management (CPM), General Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) services, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM), Community Health Integration (CHI), Principal Illness Navigation (PIN), PIN Peer-Support (PIN-PS) and Advanced Primary Care
Management. See manual for details.
SOURCE: CMS, Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 13 Update, 2/20/26, pg. 58-62, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
CMS finalized its proposal to require FQHCS and RHCs to report the individual codes that make up G0071 starting January 1, 2026. Payment for these services will be based on the non-facility PFS payment rate.
SOURCE: CMS 2026 Final Physician Fee Schedule, pg. 656, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
FQHCs provide:
- Virtual communication services like communication-based technology and remote evaluation services.
You can also provide virtual communication services, which you bill differently than telehealth.
Virtual communication services are services where a practitioner meets with a patient for at least 5 minutes to decide if the patient needs a visit. The 2 ways to provide virtual communication services are:
- Through communication-based technology
- With remote evaluation services
Starting January 1, 2026, FQHCs will report individual CPT and HCPCS codes (98016, G2010, and G2250) describing virtual communication services instead of HCPCS code G0071.
We pay for virtual communication services when an FQHC practitioner meets certain requirements, including the:
- Practitioner provides at least 5 minutes of billable FQHC virtual communications, either through communication-based technology or remote evaluation services
- Patient had at least 1 face-to-face billable visit within the previous year
- Virtual visit isn’t related to services provided within the last 7 days
- Virtual visit doesn’t lead to an in-person FQHC service within the next 24 hours or at the next appointment
When an FQHC practitioner provides virtual communication services, they don’t need to meet face-to-face, so the coinsurance doesn’t apply.
See Virtual Communication Services FAQs for more information.
We require patient consent for all services, including non-face-to-face services. You may get patient consent at the same time you initially provide the services. We don’t require direct supervision to get consent. In general, auxiliary personnel under general supervision of the FQHC practitioner can get patient consent for these services.
SOURCE: Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, Medicare Learning Network Booklet 6397, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Mar. 2026, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
RHCs and FQHCs are not eligible for reimbursement of interprofessional consultation services, as only practitioners that can bill Medicare independently for evaluation and management services are eligible.
SOURCE: CY 2019 Final Physician Fee Schedule. CMS, p. 31-40, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
Virtual communication services are RHC and FQHC services and include communications-based technology and remote evaluation services. The RHC and FQHC face-to-face requirements are waived when these services are furnished to an RHC or FQHC patient.
Effective January 1, 2019, RHCs and FQHCs receive an additional payment for the costs of communication technology-based services or remote evaluation services that are not already captured in the RHC AIR or the FQHC PPS payment when the requirements for these services are met. Coinsurance and deductibles apply to RHC claims, and coinsurance applies to FQHC claims for these services.
See manual for requirements.
Virtual communication services furnished by RHCs and FQHCs on or after January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2025, are paid at the average of the national non-facility PFS payment rate for HCPCS code G2012 (communication technology-based services), and HCPCS code G2010 (remote evaluation services), when the virtual communication HCPCS code, G0071, is on an RHC or FQHC claim, either alone or with other payable services. The payment rate for HCPCS code G0071 is updated annually based on the PFS amounts for these codes.
Effective January 1, 2026, RHCs and FQHCs must report the individual CPT/HCPCS base codes and add-on codes for each of the virtual communication services. Billing of the individual codes replaced the reporting of HCPCS code G0071. Virtual communication services will be paid separately at the national non-facility PFS payment rates. A claim should not contain both G0071 and the corresponding CPT/HCPCS codes. Only the individual CPT/HCPCS codes will be paid.
Note: Due to the similarities between CPT code 98016 and HCPCS code G2012, HCPCS code G2012 was replaced with CPT 98016. That is, HCPCS code G2012 was terminated effective December 31, 2024.
SOURCE: CMS, Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 13 Update, 2/20/26, pg. 67-68, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
In the CY 2019 PFS final rule, CMS finalized a policy for payment to RHCs and FQHCs for communication technology-based services (“virtual check-in”) or remote evaluation services, effective January 1, 2019. CMS created a new Virtual Communications G Code, G0071 for use by RHCs and FQHCs only, with the payment rate set at the average of the PFS non-facility payment rate for communication technology-based services and remote evaluation services.
RHCs and FQHCs receive an additional payment for the costs of communication technology-based services or remote evaluation services that are not already captured in the RHC AIR or the FQHC PPS payment when the requirements for these services are met. Coinsurance and deductibles apply to RHC claims, and coinsurance applies to FQHC claims for these services.
RHCs and FQHCs can bill HCPCS code G0071 alone or with other payable services on an RHC or FQHC claim. The services should be billed with a revenue code 052x and should not be billed with modifier CG for payment on RHC claims. HCPCS codes G0071 are paid based on the lesser of the charges or the rate from the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS).
SOURCE: Medicare Claims Processing Manual Chapter 9 – Rural Health Clinics/Federally Qualified Health Centers (12/18/25) p. 36. (Accessed Aug. 2026).
What are “virtual communication services” for RHCs and FQHCs?
In the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule, CMS finalized a policy that, effective January 1, 2019, RHCs and FQHCs can receive payment for virtual communication services when at least 5 minutes of communication technology-based or remote evaluation services are furnished by an RHC or FQHC practitioner to a patient who has had an RHC or FQHC billable visit within the previous year, and both of the following requirements are met:
- The medical discussion or remote evaluation is for a condition not related to an RHC or FQHC service provided within the previous 7 days, and
- The medical discussion or remote evaluation does not lead to an RHC or FQHC visit within the next 24 hours or at the soonest available appointment.
See FAQ for more details.
SOURCE: Virtual Communication Services RHCs and FQHCs FAQs, December 2018, (Accessed Aug. 2026).
See: Federal Medicare Email, Phone & Fax
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