Telehealth Billing for Behavioral Health Providers in 2026: CPT Codes, Modifiers, and What's Changing

Behavioral health continues to be the leading telehealth specialty, making up over 60% of all telehealth claims. The year 2026 introduced significant changes worth noting: a new series of CPT codes (98000–98016) that replaced the obsolete telephone codes, and new POS 10 vs. POS 02 rules that determine reimbursement based on the patient's location rather than the provider's. Additionally, there is a countdown to when the in-person visit waiver for behavioral health telehealth will expire on January 1, 2028, after which an in-person visit will be required within six months of a client's initial telehealth session. This type of detailed regulatory post ranks well because most competing content is either outdated or lacks the specificity needed, as practices actively seek precise code numbers and modifier rules instead of general information.