Mental Health CPT Codes: The CPT and E/M Code Guide for Billing
Mental health CPT codes are the five-digit codes a practice puts on a claim to say what service was done. This guide sorts them for psychotherapists and psychiatrists: evaluations, psychotherapy, add-ons, E/M visits, modifiers and place of service codes. Search a code, pick your role, or try the session-time picker.
What are mental health CPT codes?
CPT stands for Current Procedural Terminology, a code set maintained by the American Medical Association. See the AMA CPT overview for the official description. In mental health billing, the codes tell the payer whether you did an evaluation, a psychotherapy session, a family or group session, or a medication visit.
Two families matter most. Non-E/M codes describe a specific service, such as a psychotherapy session or a diagnostic evaluation. E/M codes (evaluation and management) describe an office or home visit, such as a medication visit with a psychiatrist. Modifiers and place of service codes add detail about how and where the service happened.
New to a term? The billing terms glossary defines every code and modifier, and Resources has the wider billing guides. Payer rules differ, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the payer before you bill.
Find the right mental health CPT code
Search by code, name or topic, or filter by category. Open a card for billing notes, and copy the code with one click. Descriptions are written in plain English; the AMA publishes the official CPT descriptors.
Usually billed once at the start of care. Document the history, mental status and diagnosis. Whether a payer allows a repeat evaluation later depends on that payer, so check before you bill it again.
Use it when the visit includes medical services such as reviewing labs or planning medication. A non-medical therapist does not bill this code.
Fits roughly 16 to 37 minutes of psychotherapy. Document the start and end times and the therapeutic work done.
Fits roughly 38 to 52 minutes. Many sessions land here, so the documented time is what supports the code.
Fits 53 minutes or more. Some payers apply frequency limits or extra review to this code, so keep the time and clinical content clear in the note.
Fits 16 to 37 minutes of psychotherapy on top of the E/M visit. The note must show the therapy as its own work, separate from the E/M time.
Fits 38 to 52 minutes of psychotherapy with an E/M visit. Time spent on the E/M service does not count toward it.
Fits 53 minutes or more of psychotherapy with an E/M visit. Document both services clearly so each stands on its own.
Reported only with certain primary codes, such as evaluations, individual psychotherapy and group psychotherapy. The note must name the complexity factor. CPT guidance says it is not for interpreter or translation use alone. Check the payer policy.
Document who attended and how the session related to the patient treatment plan. Payer rules on who may attend vary.
Document the participants, the clinical focus and the time. Some payers ask for a specific diagnosis or treatment goal on the claim.
Less common and not covered by every payer. Verify coverage before you schedule these sessions.
Billed per patient in the group. Document each patient participation and the group topic. Group size limits come from the payer.
Covers the first hour. Add +90840 for each additional 30 minutes when the time supports it. The note should show the urgent nature of the visit.
Billed with 90839 only. Document the total crisis time so both codes are supported.
The level comes from medical decision making or total time on the date of the visit. Psychiatrists use these for new-patient medication management visits.
Common for medication management. Add 90833, 90836 or 90838 when psychotherapy is also provided and documented as a separate service. Payers differ on whether the E/M needs modifier 25 in that case.
Documentation should name the instrument and the score. Payers differ on the number of units and the instruments they pay for.
Billed by psychologists and other qualified providers under payer rules. Prior authorization is common, so ask the payer first.
Pick a psychotherapy code by session time
Enter the minutes of face-to-face psychotherapy. The picker shows the matching individual psychotherapy code for a psychotherapist, or the E/M add-on code for a psychiatrist. Time drives most mental health CPT codes, so this is the fastest check.
Mental health CPT codes by role
Your role decides which codes you reach for first. Pick the tab that matches your practice.
Psychotherapists usually start with the non-E/M list.
- 90791 for the intake evaluation.
- 90832, 90834 or 90837 for individual sessions, chosen by documented time.
- 90846, 90847 or 90853 for family and group work.
- 96127 when you score a standardized screening instrument.
Document start and end times on every timed code. Time is what supports the code on an audit.
Prescribers usually need the E/M codes plus the psychotherapy add-ons.
- 90792 or a new-patient E/M code (99202 to 99205) for the first visit.
- 99212 to 99215 for established-patient medication management.
- +90833, +90836 or +90838 when therapy is a separate part of the same visit.
- +90785 when interactive complexity applies and the note supports it.
Keep the E/M time and the psychotherapy time separate in the note, because time cannot be counted twice.
Billing teams protect the practice by making code choice repeatable.
- Keep a one-page code sheet for each payer, with its frequency limits and telehealth rules.
- Check that every timed claim has a documented start and end time.
- Review the code set each January, since the AMA updates CPT every year.
- Track denials by code so patterns show up early.
Modifiers and place of service quick reference
Two short lists you will use alongside mental health CPT codes on almost every claim. The full guides are linked below.
| Modifier | What it signals |
|---|---|
| 25 | A significant, separately identifiable E/M service on the same day as another service. |
| 95 | Service delivered by real-time audio and video telemedicine, used by many payers. |
| 93 | Service delivered by audio-only telemedicine, where the payer allows it. |
| GT | An older telehealth modifier that some payers still ask for. |
| 59 | A distinct service, used only when the documentation supports it and the payer edits require it. |
Payers do not agree on telehealth modifiers, so check each payer policy.
| POS | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 11 | Office |
| 12 | Home, a private residence where the patient receives care |
| 02 | Telehealth provided other than in the patient home |
| 10 | Telehealth provided in the patient home |
Descriptions follow the CMS Place of Service code set. Payers decide which POS and modifier pairing they accept for telehealth.
Private payer, Medicare and Medicaid rules for mental health CPT codes
The same code can follow different rules depending on who pays. Keep the three apart.
Each insurer sets its own policy on which codes it pays, how often, with which modifiers and under which telehealth rules. Read the payer provider manual and its bulletins before you bill. The Private Insurances guide collects the major payers in one place.
Medicare prices services under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and each Medicare Administrative Contractor publishes its own coverage articles. Telehealth rules for mental health have conditions of their own and have changed over time, so check CMS before you bill a telehealth visit.
Medicaid runs state by state. Many states use HCPCS codes next to CPT, and managed-care plans can add rules on top. A rule in one state does not carry over to another. Start with the State Billing Guides for the state you bill in.
8 guides for every mental health CPT code question
Each guide goes deeper than the quick reference above. Pick the one that matches your next claim.
Full list of CMS place of service codes: place of service code list.
The short version: mental health CPT codes at a glance
Mental health CPT codes fall into four groups: psychotherapy and psychiatric codes, E/M and home-visit codes, modifiers and place of service codes, and Medicaid HCPCS codes. Psychotherapists mostly bill 90791 and the time-based 90832, 90834 and 90837. Psychiatrists bill an E/M code and add 90833, 90836 or 90838 when therapy is part of the visit. Payers differ, so check each payer policy before you bill.
How MCM South helps
MCM South is a billing service for mental and behavioral health, working with psychotherapists and psychiatrists. We submit claims electronically, verify insurance, follow up on denials and appeals, and handle credentialing, so the right codes reach the right payer.
Sources opened 11/10/26: AMA CPT overview, CMS Physician Fee Schedule and CMS Place of Service code set. This page is operational guidance for billing, not legal advice.
CPT and E/M code guide: frequently asked questions
What is the difference between E/M and non-E/M CPT codes?
E/M codes, such as 99213 to 99215, describe an office visit for evaluation and management, which psychiatrists use for medication management. Non-E/M codes, such as 90834, describe a specific service such as psychotherapy or a diagnostic evaluation.
Which CPT codes do psychotherapists bill most?
Among mental health CPT codes, psychotherapists bill mostly from the psychotherapy list, 90832, 90834 and 90837, plus the diagnostic evaluation codes 90791 and 90792. See the Non-E/M code guide for the time range of each.
Can a psychiatrist bill psychotherapy with an E/M visit?
Yes, using the add-on codes +90833, +90836 or +90838 with an E/M code. The note has to support both services. See the E/M and home-visit guide for the pairing rules.
Where do I find place of service codes and modifiers?
The place of service guide covers the codes for office, home and telehealth visits, and a separate page lists every CMS code. The modifiers guide covers modifiers such as 25, 59, 95 and 93.
Is there a CPT code for a 30-minute therapy session?
Yes. 90832 covers roughly 16 to 37 minutes of individual psychotherapy. A 45-minute session usually falls under 90834. Payers differ, so confirm the policy.
How often do mental health CPT codes change?
The AMA updates CPT every year, and changes take effect in January. Payers also publish their own policy updates during the year, so review both.
Want help getting these codes right on every claim?
MCM South bills for psychotherapists and psychiatrists and knows how payers read mental health CPT codes. Ask for a quote or book a consultation.