When you provide mental health care to your clients, your goal is to give the best treatment possible. You also want insurance companies to reimburse you on time for the services you provide. Ideally, you won’t have to fix errors or negotiate with the providers.
Whether you work for a small practice or as part of an extensive health system, you might not have a dedicated staff that focuses on mental health billing and uses the correct codes each time.
CPT Codes for Mental Health Billing
Insurance companies typically expect you to use current procedural technology codes. Insurance companies also use CPT codes when filing claims and making decisions about reimbursement.
As a mental health care provider, you’re most likely to use the codes in the first section. A few examples include the following.
90791
To bill for an intake session, you’d use code 90791.
90832
Use code 90832 to bill for a 30-minute psychotherapy session with a patient.
90834
To bill for a 45-minute psychotherapy session with a patient, use code 90834.
90837
Use code 90837 for a 60-minute psychotherapy session with a patient.
90846
Use this code to bill for a family therapy session without the patient present.
90847
90847 is the code to use if you bill for a family therapy session that the patient attends.
90839
Use 90839 if you provide a 60-minute psychotherapy session to a patient experiencing a crisis.
Avoid Claim Denials
Here are some typical mistakes that can trigger a claim denial.
Incorrect patient insurance and coverage
Before you see clients, verify their insurance information and double-check that their plans will cover the services you offer. Along with checking patients’ insurance coverage, it’s also critical to confirm that you have the correct information for them. For example, some patients have similar names, so you want to make sure you’re filing the claim for the right person.
Incorrect CPT codes
The American Medical Association issues and updates CPT codes fairly regularly. Having the most up-to-date set of codes will minimize the chance of inputting the wrong one when you file a claim.
Inaccurate time-based codes
If you see a patient for 30 minutes but use the code for a 45-minute session that can lead to a denial. Always confirm that the time matches the code.
Delayed filing
It’s vital to submit your claims to insurance before the deadline. Filing late can lead to delays or cause the insurance company to turn you down.
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