Texas Medicaid Behavioral Health Billing: Manuals, Codes and Payers
Texas Medicaid pays through the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual and a network of managed care organizations. This page lists the manual, the plans with provider links, and the codes we could confirm. Checked against state sources on 9/30/26.
Get My Free ConsultationIn this guide
- ✓ The Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual
- ✓ STAR, STAR+PLUS and CHIP plans with provider links
- ✓ HCBS-AMH codes
- ✓ Contract litigation to watch
Texas Medicaid Billing at a glance
This page covers texas medicaid billing for behavioral health claims: where the state provider manuals and code lists live, and which HCPCS codes apply to psychotherapists and psychiatrists. Rules vary by state and by payer, so confirm current requirements with the state Medicaid agency before you bill.
Use this Texas Medicaid Billing guide as a starting point. Texas Medicaid Billing rules differ by plan, so check whether a claim goes to the state fee-for-service program or to a managed care plan. Keep a copy of the current Texas Medicaid Billing manual your practice follows, and review your Texas Medicaid Billing process whenever the state issues an update.
Texas Medicaid at a glance
State manuals and fee schedules
| Document | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Texas HHSC | The state Medicaid agency. |
| Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual (TMHP) | The main billing manual, including the Behavioral Health and Case Management Services Handbook. The handbook link changes each month, so start from this page. |
| HHSC managed care service-area map (January 2026) | Which plans serve which program and area. |
Managed care plans and payer sites
The service-area map lists plans by program. Plans with confirmed provider pages are below.
| Payer | Provider site |
|---|---|
| Superior HealthPlan | Providers |
| Aetna Better Health of Texas | Providers |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Medicaid | Provider Medicaid |
| UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas | Provider site |
| Texas Children's Health Plan | Providers |
| Cook Children's Health Plan | Providers |
| Driscoll Health Plan | Providers |
| Community First Health Plans | Providers |
| El Paso Health | Providers |
| FirstCare | Providers |
Also contracted per the service-area map: Molina, Wellpoint, Community Health Choice, Parkland, Dell Children's and RightCare (Scott and White). We did not confirm working provider links for them.
HCPCS codes we could confirm
The HHSC Home and Community-based Services Adult Mental Health (HCBS-AMH) billing guidelines (May 2023) list H0036, H2015 and H2019, and only for HCBS-AMH. We did not read the manual's mental health rehabilitation or targeted case management sections, so do not assume these codes apply outside that program.
What is changing
- A court enjoined the state's new STAR and CHIP contracts in October 2024. We did not confirm the current litigation or procurement status, so the plan list above is the incumbent set.
- TMHP posts a new Behavioral Health and Case Management Services Handbook each month; check the date on the file you use.
Current as of 9/30/2026. Reconfirm before you bill.
Texas Medicaid billing: frequently asked questions
Where is the Texas Medicaid provider manual?
On the TMHP website as the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual. Behavioral health rules are in its Behavioral Health and Case Management Services Handbook.
Who pays Texas Medicaid behavioral health claims?
Most members are in managed care, so the STAR, STAR+PLUS, STAR Kids or CHIP plan pays. Check the member's plan on each visit.
Which codes does Texas list for adult home and community mental health?
The HCBS-AMH billing guidelines (May 2023) list H0036, H2015 and H2019 for that program only.
Where this information comes from
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