The quarterly updates for the Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi Virtual Visit Billing Guides are now available!  These updates reflect key regulatory changes and ongoing efforts to keep providers up to date on virtual care guidelines.

On February 3, 2026, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, was passed, extending Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027. This ensures continued access to virtual care for Medicare beneficiaries and reinforces the role of telehealth in modern healthcare delivery, particularly for rural and underserved communities.

The quarterly updates to the Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi Virtual Visit Billing Guides are now available!

The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2026 (H.R. 5371) extended current telehealth flexibilities, retroactive to October 1, and allows the flexibilities outlined below to remain in effect through January 30, 2026. In addition, CMS released the Calendar Year 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (CMS-1832-F), which includes several important telehealth policy changes summarized below.

The quarterly updates for the Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi Virtual Visit Billing Guides are now available! Payors were fairly quiet this past quarter, but with 2026 on the horizon, we can expect some shifts when CMS releases finalized 2026 telehealth guidance.

CMS has released the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule (CMS-1832-P), which includes several important telehealth changes detailed below. Remember, this is still a proposed rule, the final version will be published in November, and some details may change.

Medicare Telehealth Coverage & Billing: Post-Expiration

On October 1, 2025, the federal government shut down after Congress failed to pass a FY 2026 spending bill. With that, the Medicare telehealth flexibilities, which had been extended throughout the pandemic, have officially expired. Read more about what this means for healthcare providers below.

View the third quarterly update for 2025 has just been published. Take a look at all the changes for the South Central Region (Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee) as well as our Archive!

Following the wave of 2025 policy changes, most payors have remained relatively quiet this quarter, with few new updates as their telehealth and virtual care policies appear to have stabilized a bit more.

Read more through the link below.

View the second quarterly update for 2025 has just been published. Take a look at all the changes for the South Central Region (Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee) as well as our Archive!

Along with the exciting news that current Medicare telehealth flexibilities were extended through September 30th, 2025 via recently passed legislation, several changes within the Commercial and Medicaid space also occurred this past quarter, as payors continue to evaluate the newly released 2025 telehealth E/M codes.

The South Central Region Virtual Visit Billing Guides have been updated with the most recent payor changes. Below is this quarter’s most recent updates, or click on any state to go directly to that state’s guide.

• Arkansas
• Tennessee
• Mississippi

This Quarter’s Highlights

The Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi Virtual Visit Billing guides have been updated with the most recent payor changes!  The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency expired May 11^th, 2023, resulting in the end of several telehealth flexibilities.  Flexibilities that ended include the cost share waiver for COVID-19 testing-related visits, OCR’s HIPAA compliant telehealth platform waiver, and audio only allowable telehealth services for several insurance companies.  For Medicare, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, continued the allowance of numerous telehealth flexibilities for Medicare through December 31^st, 2024.  For commercial payors, most had already transitioned to permanent virtual services policies, however some are still working on finalizing their permanent policies, and therefore are still referring providers to use the interim telehealth guidance that was published during the COVID-19 PHE.  Lastly, Medicaid policies have remained relatively stable, and no significant changes were made with the end of the COVID-19 PHE.

Below are the detailed updates:

AETNA:

• There are no changes to their permeant telemedicine policy with the end of the PHE
  • An updated telemedicine policy will be shared in Q4 2023.  Providers will receive 90- days’ notice before it goes into effect.

CIGNA:

• Preventive Care Services for CPT 99381-99387 and CPT 99391-99397 were added
• Added Remote Patient Monitoring Coverage Policy 0563
• Removed G2010 and S9100 from allowable telehealth code list
• Updated UB-04 billing information with May 2023 announcement

BCBS of Arkansas:

• Removed CS modifier information

BCBS of Tennessee:

• BCBS of TN announced that with the end of the PHE they will return to some their original policies and procedures
  • However, As of June 30th, 2023, no additional updates have been made to their original policy, and therefore the information within the guide is still utilizing the telehealth guidance that was provided during the COVID-19 PHE

MEDICA:

• Medica’s emergency telehealth policy was set to end when the federal PHE ended (May 11th, 2023). However, Medica has not updated its standard telehealth policy yet, and therefore, upon inquiry, a Medica representative stated that the emergency policy will be in effective until further notice.

MEDICARE:

• Removed COVID-19 service flexibilities
• Updated reimbursement section
• Updated allowable telehealth list

MEDICAID:

• Bluecare of Tennessee Medicaid:
  • Cost Share Waiver Updated
• Amerigroup:
  • Updated allowable code set with Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-1002 information
  • Changed E-visits, Virtual Check-Ins, and Telephone Codes to “Conditional” based on provider’s fee schedule
• UHC Community Plan Tennessee
  • Removed telephone codes as being allowable
  • Updated allowable code set with Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-1002 information

UNITED HEALTHCARE:

• Updated audio only information
• Added audio only code section

ALL PAYORS/GUIDES:

• Removed cost share waiver information
  • All cost share waivers have been expired
• Removed HIPAA Compliant Platform from individual payor sections
• Updated HIPAA Compliant Platform Information in general section
• Removed Hospital Outpatient section as that was specific to COVID-19 flexibilities