Telehealth billing myths that won't die

Telehealth billing is still one of the most misunderstood areas in general practice.

And the same myths keep coming up — even in well-run clinics.

Let's clear a few up.

MYTH 1: YOU CAN'T SPLIT BILL TELEHEALTH ITEMS

This isn't true.

You can bill:

• A general attendance

• And a sexual health/reproductive health (SHR/BBV) item

…as long as:

✔ Both services are clinically relevant

✔ Both meet their criteria

✔ Both are clearly documented

The issue isn't the combination — it's whether the work was actually done.

MYTH 2: YOU CAN'T DO CARE PLANS VIA TELEHEALTH

Also not true.

Care plans can absolutely be done via telehealth if all requirements are met:

• Comprehensive assessment

• Patient input and agreement

• Clear goals and management plan

The challenge is: → It's often harder to do properly

WHERE THE REAL RISK IS

Telehealth becomes risky when:

• There's no established clinical relationship

• Documentation is weak

• Services are rushed or templated poorly

WHAT GOOD LOOKS LIKE

Strong telehealth billing looks exactly like good face-to-face billing:

✔ Clear clinical reasoning

✔ Proper documentation

✔ Services that genuinely occurred

WHERE BETTERBILLING FITS

We don't just tell you what's "allowed" — we show you:

• How to do this properly in real consults

• What documentation actually needs to include

• How to reduce audit risk

Because telehealth isn't the problem. Poor understanding of it is.