Telemedicine Parity Law
State laws requiring commercial insurers to cover and/or pay telehealth services at the same rate as in-person services.
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- Telehealth
- Primary sources
- 1
- Workspace handoff
- ask d3 →
Where this comes up
Telehealth coding, place-of-service, modifier (95, GT, GQ, FQ, FR), and post-PHE policy parity all converge here. State licensure rules and DEA controlled-substance prescribing rules add a second compliance layer most billers learn about only after the first denial.
Full definition
What it is in practice
State parity laws vary in scope — coverage parity (services must be covered if covered in-person), payment parity (same fee), or both. The list of parity states continues to grow.
How it shows up in your practice
Track state-by-state telehealth parity. Commercial-payer telehealth contracts often hinge on the state-law floor.
Sources
- HHS Telehealth.HHS.govhttps://telehealth.hhs.gov/
Look up state parity rules in Ask D3
Open ask d3 →Related terms
- TelehealthTelehealthDelivery of health care services through audio-video or audio-only technology when the patient is not at the same location as the practitioner.
- TelehealthModifier 95CPT modifier indicating a synchronous telemedicine service rendered via real-time interactive audio and video.
- TelehealthInterstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC)A compact allowing physicians licensed in one member state to obtain expedited licensure in other member states.
D3rx is a healthcare-billing and compliance research aid maintained by D3rx Inc. Articles are drafted by an LLM (Anthropic Claude) against primary HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and state-regulator publications, and reviewed for restraint and source fidelity by the D3rx team.
Reviewer status: a named credentialed reviewer (CHC, CHPC, or healthcare attorney) is being engaged. Until that engagement is finalized, this page does not claim credentialed review.
Related across the archive
- GlossaryInterstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC)A compact allowing physicians licensed in one member state to obtain expedited licensure in other member states.
- GlossaryTelehealthDelivery of health care services through audio-video or audio-only technology when the patient is not at the same location as the practitioner.
- GlossaryModifier 95CPT modifier indicating a synchronous telemedicine service rendered via real-time interactive audio and video.
- GlossaryAudio-Only TelehealthTelehealth services delivered via telephone or other audio-only technology, without a video component.
- GlossaryDistant SiteUnder Medicare telehealth rules, the location of the practitioner delivering the telehealth service.
- GlossaryFQHC (Federally Qualified Health Center)A community-based safety-net provider that meets requirements at section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act and receives prospective payment from Medicare and enhanced reimbursement from Medicaid.
- GlossaryModifier 93 (Audio-Only Synchronous Telehealth)CPT modifier indicating a synchronous telemedicine service rendered via audio-only technology.
- GlossaryModifier GQ (Asynchronous Telehealth)HCPCS modifier indicating asynchronous (store-and-forward) telecommunications technology was used for the telehealth service.
This glossary entry is a research aid for billing and compliance staff. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice and does not replace counsel. References cited link to primary sources at HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and the relevant payer or industry body.