CMS has released a regulation that added the emergency department (ED) evaluation and management (E/M) codes (CPT codes 99281 to 99285) to the list of approved Medicare telehealth services for the duration of the COVID-19 national emergency.

CMS had previously expanded the ability  to perform telehealth services, but had not allowed emergency physicians to use the ED E/M codes—which most accurately reflect the intensity and value of emergency services .

CMS has now recognized that ED E/M codes are indeed the most appropriate codes to use when delivering emergency telehealth services.