By Ahmad Bashir · Updated October 26, 2026
Most outpatient mental health services are billed with a small set of CPT codes. The right one depends on the type of session, who attended and, for psychotherapy, how long it lasted. Payer rules vary, so always check each plan’s current policies.
Diagnostic evaluation codes
- 90791 – Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation without medical services. Commonly used for intake assessments by therapists and psychologists.
- 90792 – Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation with medical services, used by prescribers such as psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners.
Individual psychotherapy codes
These are based on time spent with the patient:
- 90832 – 16 to 37 minutes (a 30-minute session)
- 90834 – 38 to 52 minutes (a 45-minute session)
- 90837 – 53 minutes or more (a 60-minute session)
Sessions under 16 minutes are generally not billed as psychotherapy. Some payers review 90837 more closely, so always document start and stop times.
Family and group therapy codes
- 90846 – Family psychotherapy without the patient present, 50 minutes
- 90847 – Family psychotherapy with the patient present, 50 minutes
- 90853 – Group psychotherapy (other than a multiple-family group)
Add-on and crisis codes
- 90833, 90836, 90838 – Psychotherapy added to an evaluation and management (E/M) visit by a prescriber, by length of the therapy portion
- 90785 – Interactive complexity, when communication factors make the session harder to deliver
- 90839 and 90840 – Psychotherapy for crisis: the first 60 minutes, then each additional 30 minutes
Billing telehealth sessions
Telehealth sessions use the same CPT codes, but the claim also needs the correct place of service code, such as POS 10 when the patient is at home or POS 02 for other locations, and many payers require modifier 95. Requirements differ by payer and change often, so check each plan’s current telehealth policy.
Common mental health billing mistakes
- Billing a time-based code that does not match the documented session length
- Not checking whether behavioral health benefits are carved out to a separate administrator
- Missing authorizations on plans that require them after a set number of visits
- Using the wrong place of service or modifier on telehealth claims
- Billing under a clinician who is not yet credentialed with the plan
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