What practitioners can furnish Medicare telehealth services? Answer in under 100 words. Cite only eCFR (www.ecfr.gov) sources.
Details / How it works
Medicare Part B covers telehealth services under §410.78(b) when furnished via an interactive telecommunications system. The distant site practitioner must be licensed under State law to provide the service, and the patient must be located at an eligible originating site. The regulation enumerates twelve categories of practitioners who may bill as the distant site.
The list, per §410.78(b)(2), includes:
- A physician (as described in §410.20)
- A physician assistant (as described in §410.74)
- A nurse practitioner (as described in §410.75)
- A clinical nurse specialist (as described in §410.76)
- A nurse-midwife (as described in §410.77)
- A clinical psychologist (as described in §410.71)
- A clinical social worker (as described in §410.73)
- A registered dietitian or nutrition professional (as described in §410.134)
- A certified registered nurse anesthetist (as described in §410.69)
- A distant site practitioner who can bill for diabetes self-management training (DSMT) services
- A marriage and family therapist (as described in §410.53)
- A mental health counselor (as described in §410.54)
Under §410.78(e)(1), clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists (MFTs), and mental health counselors (MHCs) may bill for individual psychotherapy via telehealth but may not seek payment for medical evaluation and management services.
Numbers & thresholds
| Practitioner Type | CFR Cross-Reference |
|---|---|
| Physician | §410.20 |
| Physician assistant | §410.74 |
| Nurse practitioner | §410.75 |
| Clinical nurse specialist | §410.76 |
| Nurse-midwife | §410.77 |
| Clinical psychologist | §410.71 |
| Clinical social worker | §410.73 |
| Registered dietitian or nutrition professional | §410.134 |
| Certified registered nurse anesthetist | §410.69 |
| DSMT-billing distant site practitioner | §410.78(b)(2)(x) |
| Marriage and family therapist | §410.53 |
| Mental health counselor | §410.54 |
Exceptions & edge cases
Clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, MFTs, and MHCs are limited to billing for individual psychotherapy via telehealth; they cannot bill for medical evaluation and management services (§410.78(e)(1)). Required physician visits under §483.40(c) may not be furnished as telehealth services (§410.78(e)(2)). A telepresenter is not required as a condition of payment unless medically necessary as determined by the distant site physician or practitioner (§410.78(c)).
Sources
- [1]U.S. Government Publishing Office / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — 42 CFR 410.78 — Medicare telehealth services — conditions for payment · as of 2026-08-28
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