TennCare Confirms Continued Coverage of Telehealth Services

August 18, 2021

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – There has recently been some confusion regarding the continuation of TennCare telehealth services. The MCOs are currently in compliance with state law regarding payment for services provided via telehealth in the same manner as face-to-face interactions. This includes payment for services originating at a site other than an office.

During the public health emergency, TennCare had required the MCOs to reimburse for audio only telehealth interactions. State law now requires payment for behavioral health services provided via audio only telehealth when broadband is not accessible. In addition, the MCOs are allowed to continue reimbursement for audio only services at their discretion for physical health services.

To date, TennCare’s MCOs continue to cover audio only telehealth and providers may visit their MCOs’ Provider Website determine what policies that the MCO has adopted for audio only telehealth. When billing for telehealth services, providers must bill using the place of service code 02 or the specific telehealth modifier (i.e., 95, GT, GQ, G0) as required by each MCO.

For more information about TennCare's billing policies for telehealth services, visit the TennCare website here.