Georgia Telehealth Billing for Therapists: 7 Easy Checks
Georgia telehealth billing for therapists is the way you code and submit video and audio visits so each payer pays correctly. Georgia has a state law for commercial plans and separate guidance for Medicaid, and they do not match. This guide separates them so you can check one payer at a time.
Georgia telehealth billing for therapists: what the state law says
For plans regulated by the state, Georgia’s telemedicine insurance law is O.C.G.A. section 33-24-56.4. As summarized by the Center for Connected Health Policy (accessed May 2026), it sets two rules. Insurers must cover a service delivered by telemedicine on the same basis as in person, and they must pay at least the in-person rate for the same service.
Private payers
The same summary says insurers cannot add telemedicine-specific cost sharing or extra utilization review, and cannot require prior authorization for telehealth that is not required in person. It also says audio-only counts as telemedicine only when no other real-time option exists, and insurers need not pay for audio-only calls except for mental or behavioral health services. Read the statute itself or ask your counsel before you rely on any of this in a dispute.
The Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance says its Consumer Services Division does not handle complaints about self-insured employer plans. So a state law may not reach every plan you bill. Ask the payer which kind of plan the member has.
Georgia Medicaid telehealth billing for therapists
For Georgia telehealth billing for therapists under Medicaid, DCH covers real-time, two-way audio and video. The Department of Community Health (DCH) Telehealth Guidance, version dated April 1, 2026, excludes telephone calls, email and fax as telemedicine. It also says that if sources conflict, you apply the more stringent one.
Medicare and Medicaid
This section covers Georgia Medicaid only. Medicare telehealth rules are federal and have changed several times, so check them separately before you bill Medicare.
| Item | What the DCH guidance says |
|---|---|
| Place of service (POS) | POS 02 when the member is not at home; POS 10 when the member is at home |
| Modifier | GT for interactive audio and video, as applicable |
| Audio-only | General policy allows modifier 93; community behavioral health services (CBHRS) say telephonic work is not telemedicine and does not use 93 |
| Consent | Written consent before the first telehealth service |
| Records | Show that the visit was telehealth and list both site locations |
Licensed social workers, professional counselors and marriage and family therapists providing tele-mental health must follow practice guidelines and mandatory training named in the DCH guidance. The guidance also lists LPC, LCSW and LMFT as level 3 billing providers for CBHRS. Do not assume your license and your code are covered; confirm in the manual.
How does Georgia telehealth billing for therapists differ by payer?
Georgia telehealth billing for therapists differs most on three points: the place-of-service code, the modifier, and whether audio-only is paid. Commercial plans set these in their own policies, and Georgia Medicaid sets them in the DCH guidance. Pull each payer’s written policy and keep a copy in your billing file.
Seven checks before you send a telehealth claim
Run these checks on every Georgia telehealth billing for therapists claim until they become routine.
- Confirm benefits for telehealth on the date of service. Our guide to eligibility verification shows how.
- Confirm the member’s location and record it.
- Pick the POS code the payer’s policy names.
- Add the modifier the payer requires, and none it does not.
- Check whether the member’s plan charges a copay for telehealth; Georgia’s law bars telemedicine-specific cost sharing for state-regulated plans.
- File the consent form and the note with both site locations.
- Review denials by code. Learn to read CARC and RARC codes.
What to do Monday morning
Start with Georgia telehealth billing for therapists in your top three payers. Download each payer’s telehealth policy and note the POS code, modifier and audio-only rule. Pull ten recent telehealth claims and compare them with the policy. Then check your clean claim rate for telehealth visits against in-person visits, so you can see where claims are failing.
The short version: Georgia telehealth billing for therapists
Georgia telehealth billing for therapists follows the payer. State law sets parity rules for regulated commercial plans, Georgia Medicaid uses its own DCH guidance with POS 02, POS 10 and the GT modifier, and audio-only rules differ. Verify each payer in writing before you bill.
How MCM South helps
MCM South Medical Billing Service, LLC bills exclusively for mental and behavioral health. We work with psychotherapists and psychiatrists in solo and medium-size practices, and we bill out-of-network claims for clients. We handle claims and follow-up so telehealth visits are billed the way each payer requires.
Keep going
Related reading
Ready to hand off the billing side? We can talk through your practice.
FAQ
Does Georgia require insurers to pay for telehealth the same as in-person therapy?
Per the Center for Connected Health Policy summary of O.C.G.A. 33-24-56.4, state-regulated plans must cover telemedicine on the same basis as in person and pay at least the in-person rate for the same service. Confirm against the statute and the member’s plan type.
Does Georgia Medicaid pay for therapy by phone?
The DCH Telehealth Guidance excludes telephone calls from telemedicine, though its general policy mentions modifier 93 for audio-only. Community behavioral health services say telephonic work is not telemedicine. Check the manual for your service.
Which place of service code do I use for telehealth in Georgia Medicaid?
DCH says POS 02 when the member is not at home and POS 10 when the member is at home. Commercial payers set their own, so follow each policy.
Do I need written consent for Georgia Medicaid telehealth?
Yes. The DCH guidance requires written consent before the first telehealth service, and your records should show the visit was telehealth and where both sites were.
Where MCM South works
MCM South Medical Billing Service, LLC works with psychotherapists and psychiatrists in our ten currently served states: Georgia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Texas, Florida, New York, Colorado, Tennessee, North Carolina and Illinois. We serve solo and medium-size practices that bill mental and behavioral health. Founder Michael Williams has worked with insurance payers in all 50 states. Browse the state and regional billing guides for rules that vary by state, or see our billing services.
This post is operational guidance for billing, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with the payer or your counsel.
