At the September 2021 CPT Editorial Panel Meeting, a new Modifier was accepted to describe real-time telemedicine services between a patient and a physician or other qualified health care professional rendered via audio-only. This new modifier — Modifier 93 – Synchronous Telemedicine Service Rendered Via Telephone or Other Real-Time Interactive Audio-Only Telecommunications System – is effective January 1, 2022.

“Synchronous telemedicine service” is defined as a real-time interaction between a physician or other qualified health care professional and a patient who is located away at a distant site from the physician or other qualified health care professional. The totality of the communication of information exchanged between the physician or other qualified health care professional and the patient during the course of the synchronous telemedicine service must be of an amount and nature that is sufficient to meet the key components and/or requirements of the same service when rendered via a face-to-face interaction.

Additional information is available on the American Medical Association website.