US Medical Term · clinical
Originating Site
Sitio de Origen
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Originating Site |
| Spanish (Español) | Sitio de Origen |
| Chinese (中文) | 发起地点 |
| Korean (한국어) | 원격 진료 시작 장소 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Địa điểm Xuất phát |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Pinagmumulan na Lugar |
| Portuguese (Português) | Local de Origem |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | สถานที่ต้นทาง |
| Japanese (日本語) | オリジネーティングサイト |
What it means
In Medicare telehealth billing, the originating site is the physical location where the patient receives a telehealth service. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare required originating sites to be approved facilities—such as rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, or hospitals—not a patient's home. Pandemic-era flexibilities temporarily allowed patients' homes to qualify. Whether your home counts as an originating site affects whether Medicare will reimburse your virtual visit. Your provider or billing department can tell you if your location qualifies under current CMS rules.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
or-IJ-ih-NAY-ting site
sitio de origen
Also called 'patient location' in telehealth billing
También llamado 'ubicación del paciente' en facturación de telesalud
Staff may ask: 'What is your originating site for today's visit?'
'¿Cuál es su sitio de origen para la visita de hoy?'
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026