Policy & oversight
A Pending Medicare Rule Would Flag Platform-Affiliated Telehealth Visits on Claims for the First Time Starting in 2027
If finalized, a provision in Medicare's proposed 2027 physician payment rule would require providers to add new identifiers to claims whenever a telehealth visit is delivered through a contracted platform company. The change would not alter what Medicare pays, but it would make these arrangements visible in federal claims data for the first time. The public comment period closes September 14.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamSeptember 12, 2026
A provision in Medicare's proposed Calendar Year 2027 Physician Fee Schedule rule would require providers to attach one of two new claims modifiers whenever a telehealth visit is delivered through a virtual platform company. The requirement would take effect January 1, 2027, if CMS finalizes the rule.
The two new identifiers, called modifier BB and modifier BC, would not change how much Medicare pays for a telehealth visit. Rather, CMS said they would make platform-affiliated arrangements visible in the claims data the agency uses for program oversight and research. The requirement traces to a provision in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026.
A proposed Medicare rule would add new claim codes to identify telehealth visits tied to platform companies, starting January 2027.
Modifier BB would apply when the billing practitioner has a contract or payment arrangement with the company that owns the telehealth platform. Modifier BC would apply when a service is furnished incident to another practitioner's service through telehealth.
CMS published the proposed rule in July 2026. It also includes proposals to reduce physician payment conversion factors, change evaluation and management billing rules, and restrict billing for certain remote patient monitoring services. The public comment period for all provisions closes September 14, 2026, and a final rule is expected later this fall.
Medicare beneficiaries who use telehealth services would not see any immediate change in what they pay. The modifiers are a program-analysis transparency tool, not a patient-facing requirement.
In plain words
If a new Medicare rule is approved, doctors will need to add a special mark on their billing form when they use a telehealth company's software to see patients online. This would not change what patients pay. It just lets the government see how often outside companies are involved in Medicare telehealth visits. The deadline for the public to comment on this rule was September 14.
Understand the basics first
Source: CMS
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