Specialties / Mental Health Billing

Mental Health Billing Services:
Specialized Billing for Psychiatry, Therapy & Behavioral Health

Maximize your behavioral health practice revenue with specialized billing expertise in psychotherapy services, telehealth coding, and psychiatric medication management. Our certified mental health billing specialists understand time-based CPT codes, crisis intervention billing, and HIPAA-compliant documentation requirements unique to behavioral health services.

96%First-Pass Claim Rate
32%Revenue Increase
50%Fewer Denials
10dFaster Payments

Dedicated Mental Health Division — Now Open

We built a division that does nothing else. Certified behavioral health coders, carve-out expertise, real-time telehealth modifier tracking, and a clear promise: your first-pass rate improves or you do not pay.

AAPC Certified Coders
HIPAA Compliant
OIG Compliant
Behavioral Health Specialists
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
  • Behavioral health has the highest claim denial rate of any specialty — carve-outs, authorizations, and telehealth modifiers are uniquely complex.
  • Time-based CPT codes (90837, 90834) are frequently downcoded by payers without precise session-length documentation in the clinical record.
  • Our dedicated behavioral health division achieves a 96% first-pass rate by mastering payer-specific BH carve-out rules.
  • Telehealth modifiers (95, GT) and facility versus non-facility billing distinctions are common audit triggers for BH practices that self-bill.

Who We Serve

Every type of behavioral health practice — whether you are a solo LCSW or a 20-clinician group, we have a billing workflow built around how you practice.

Solo Therapists & Counselors

LCSWs, LPCs, MFTs, and psychologists tired of spending Friday afternoons fighting claim denials instead of finishing session notes.

  • Individual practice billing
  • Medicaid and CHIP
  • EAP billing

Group Behavioral Health Practices

Multi-clinician practices where every provider bills differently — and where one credentialing gap can freeze an entire panel.

  • Multi-provider billing
  • Credentialing management
  • Group supervision billing

Psychiatrists & Psychiatric NPs

Prescribers who split sessions between medication management and psychotherapy and need the E/M plus add-on codes billed correctly every time.

  • E/M plus psychotherapy billing
  • 90833/90836/90838 add-on codes
  • Medication management

Telehealth-Only Providers

Fully virtual practices navigating different modifier, POS code, and payer requirements that change by state and payer.

  • Telehealth modifier 95 and GT
  • POS 02 and 10 billing
  • State-specific compliance

Common Mental Health Billing Challenges

Behavioral health practices face unique billing complexities with time-based coding, telehealth requirements, and heightened confidentiality standards.

Time-Based CPT Code Accuracy

Psychotherapy and psychiatric services require precise time tracking with specific CPT codes based on session duration (30, 45, 60 minutes).

Impact: Underbilling or overbilling when time is not accurately documented

Telehealth Billing Complexities

Virtual mental health services have specific modifier requirements and varying state regulations for reimbursement.

Impact: Claim denials due to incorrect telehealth modifiers or non-covered services

Carve-Out Insurance Plans

Behavioral health benefits are often carved out to separate insurance entities with different billing rules than medical insurance.

Impact: Claims submitted to wrong payer entity causing denials and delays

HIPAA & Confidentiality Compliance

Mental health records require heightened privacy protections with specific rules about what can be shared in billing documentation.

Impact: HIPAA violations and audit risk from improper disclosure

Credentialing & Panel Management

Therapists joining insurance panels face complex credentialing, paneling, and re-credentialing processes that affect billing eligibility.

Impact: Revenue loss during gaps in coverage or credentialing lapses

Prior Authorization Requirements

Certain behavioral health services including intensive outpatient programs require prior authorization with specific clinical criteria.

Impact: Treatment delays and revenue gaps from denied authorizations

Key Mental Health CPT Code Reference

CodeDescriptionTimeBilling Notes
90837Psychotherapy, 60 minutes53–60 min
Highest-paying individual therapy code. Document precise session time in record
90834Psychotherapy, 45 minutes38–52 min
Mid-range individual therapy. Frequently downcoded — document exact minutes
90832Psychotherapy, 30 minutes16–37 min
Shorter session. Often used with psychiatric E/M add-on codes
90833Psychotherapy add-on, 30 min (with E/M)16–37 min
Add-on to E/M for psychiatrists. Cannot bill standalone
90836Psychotherapy add-on, 45 min (with E/M)38–52 min
Used with 99212–99215 E/M codes by psychiatrists/NPs
90791Psychiatric diagnostic evaluationN/A
Initial evaluation — one per episode. Includes biopsychosocial assessment
99213–99215E/M for established patient (psychiatric)Varies
Use MDM-based coding under 2021 guidelines. Most psych visits qualify 99214–99215
90853Group psychotherapyN/A
Per patient billing. Maximum group size varies by payer. Telehealth modifier applies

CPT codes for reference only. Actual reimbursement varies by payer, region, and contract.

Ready to Improve Your Mental Health Practice Revenue?

Get a free billing audit and discover how our dedicated behavioral health division can transform your revenue cycle.