What Are Psychotherapy CPT Codes?

CPT codes for psychotherapists give mental health professionals a consistent way of describing, and billing for, behavioral health services. 

Knowing the right psychotherapy CPT codes to use is key so you can get paid and can avoid common (and frustrating) issues with insurers.

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What are CPT codes?

The acronym CPT stands for Current Procedural Terminology codes. 

The American Medical Association (AMA) created the CPT coding system more than 50 years ago.

Each code is a five-digit number that provides a universal form of communication between you, your patients, and third-party payers. 

A select panel of experts updates CPT codes each year to keep up with changes in health care services. 

In 2022 alone, more than 400 changes—including the addition of 249 new codes—were made to keep up with the growing shift towards telehealth.

Becoming familiar with therapy CPT codes and psychotherapy CPT codes will help you properly bill your clients and file health insurance claims with third-party payers, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers. 

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Common CPT codes for psychotherapy

There are currently over 10,000 CPT codes, but you don’t need to know all of them. 

Here are some of the most common behavioral health CPT codes for psychotherapists you’re likely to use:

90791 Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation without medical services

90792  Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation with medical services

90832 CPT code 30 minutes psychotherapy with patient

90834 CPT code psychotherapy 45 minutes with patient

90837 CPT code psychotherapy 60 minutes with patient

90845 Psychoanalysis

90846 Family psychotherapy (without the patient present), 50 minutes

90847 Family psychotherapy (with patient present), 50 minutes

90849 Multiple family-group psychotherapy

90853 Group psychotherapy (other than a multiple-family group)

96105 Assessment of aphasia, per hour

96112 Developmental test administration by physician or qualified health professional, with interpretation and report, first hour

96116 Neurobehavioral status exam, first hour

96125 Standardized cognitive performance testing, per hour

96130 Psychological testing and evaluation by a physician or qualified healthcare professional, first hour

96136 Neuropsychological or psychological test administration and scoring by a physician or qualified healthcare professional, first hour

96138 Neuropsychological or psychological test administration and scoring by a technician, first hour

96156 Health behavior assessment or reassessment

96158 Health behavior intervention, individual, face-to-face, first 30 minutes

96164 Health behavior intervention, group (2 or more clients), face-to-face, first 30 minutes

96167 Health behavior intervention, family (with client present), face-to-face, first 30 minutes

96170 Health behavior intervention, family (without client present), face-to-face, first 30 minutes

Session time and CPT therapy codes

Although the session times mentioned in some of the above psychotherapy CPT codes are very specific, you do have some flexibility. 

The CPT Manual’s “Time Rule” allows you to use the code that’s closest to your session length. For instance:

 Individual Psychotherapy CPT Code Duration of Session 90832 16-37 minutes 90834 38-52 minutes 90837 53+ minutes 90846, 90847 26+ minutes 

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Add-on CPT codes for psychotherapists

Occasionally, you may also need to use what’s called an “add-on” CPT therapy code. This is listed separately on the bill to highlight a part of the treatment that exceeded your principal service. 

Add-on individual psychotherapy CPT therapy codes include:

90785: Interactive Complexity 

This CPT code refers to specific communication factors that make it difficult for you to deliver a service or administer treatment. 

At least one of these four circumstances (listed in the CPT Manual) must apply before you can include code 90785:

1.Maladaptive communication (for instance, an uncooperative patient)

2. Caregiver emotions or behaviors that interfere with their understanding and ability to assist with treatment (for instance, a father who disagrees during a family session with his child’s treatment plan)

3. Evidence or disclosure of a sentinel event and mandated reporting to a third party (for instance, disclosure of child abuse by the patient or caregiver)

4. Use of play equipment or other physical devices to communicate (for instance, a non-verbal patient with autism)

Code 90785 can be reported along with these primary psychotherapy CPT codes:

90791 Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation

90832, 90834, 90837 Psychotherapy

90853 Group psychotherapy

90863: Pharmacological Management 

You can add this code to include prescription and review of a patient’s medication when it’s performed on the same day as stand-alone psychotherapy CPT codes (90832, 90834, 90837).

90839/90840: Psychotherapy for Crisis

If a patient is in high distress and requires urgent assessment and immediate attention for a life-threatening issue, you’ll include the CPT add-on code(s) for a crisis psychotherapy session.

These include:

90839 Psychotherapy for crisis, first 60 minutes

90840 Psychotherapy for crisis, each additional 30 minutes

Other time-specific add-ons 

Other CPT codes for psychotherapists refer to additional time for a principal session. Some of these include:

96113 Developmental test administration by physician or qualified health professional, with interpretation and report, each additional 30 minutes

96121 Neurobehavioral status exam, additional hour

96131 Psychological testing and evaluation by a physician or qualified healthcare professional, each additional hour

96133 Neuropsychological testing and evaluation by a physician or qualified healthcare professional, each additional hour

96137 Neuropsychological or psychological test administration and scoring by a physician or qualified healthcare professional, each additional hour

96139 Neuropsychological or psychological test administration and scoring by a technician, each additional hour

96159 Health behavior intervention, individual, face-to-face, each additional 15 minutes

This coding system may feel overwhelming at first, but the more you use psychotherapy CPT codes, the more they will make sense. 

If you have a specific billing question about CPT codes, the American Medical Association offers extensive CPT resources.

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