Mental Health CPT Codes 2026
Mental health CPT codes are the foundation of behavioral health reimbursement. Every therapy session, psychiatric evaluation, family therapy visit, and crisis intervention requires a specific Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code for insurance payment. Selecting the wrong code leads to claim denials, compliance risk, and lost revenue. This guide provides a complete reference to mental health CPT codes for 2026. You will find time-based coding rules, documentation requirements, Medicare reimbursement rates, and clear guidance for every major behavioral health CPT code. Whether you are a therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or billing professional, this reference will help you code more accurately and collect more revenue. What Are Mental Health CPT Codes? CPT codes are five-digit numeric codes published annually by the American Medical Association (AMA). They identify the specific clinical services a provider delivers during a patient encounter. Insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid use these codes to calculate reimbursement amounts and process claims. Mental health CPT codes cover the full range of behavioral health services. These include individual psychotherapy, psychiatric diagnostic evaluations, family therapy, group therapy, and crisis intervention. Each code carries documentation requirements, time rules, and reimbursement rates that vary by payer and geographic location. Behavioral health billing depends on accurate CPT codes more than nearly any other claim element. ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes establish medical necessity. The CPT code identifies the exact service delivered. Together, they determine whether a claim receives timely payment or results in a denial. How Time-Based Psychotherapy Codes Work Most individual psychotherapy CPT codes are time-based. The code you select must match the actual documented length of the clinical session. Time-based coding requires the provider to record the exact start time and stop time of every encounter. The three primary individual psychotherapy time ranges are: CPT 90832: For sessions lasting 16 to 37 minutes CPT 90834: For sessions lasting 38 to 52 minutes CPT 90837: For sessions lasting 53 minutes or more Sessions under 16 minutes typically do not meet the minimum threshold for a psychotherapy CPT code. Brief contacts at this length are better captured under evaluation and management codes when medically appropriate. Never round session times up to qualify for a higher-paying code. Billing 90837 for a documented 48-minute session is a coding error and a compliance violation. The selected code must always reflect the actual documented time. Payers audit time-based codes closely Complete Mental Health CPT Code Reference Table The following table covers all major mental health CPT codes for 2026. Medicare rates are approximate national averages. Rates vary by geographic location. Verify current rates through the CMS Physician Fee Schedule lookup tool. Export XLSExport CSV CPT Code Description Time Range Type Who Qualifies Avg. Medicare 90791 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation 60+ min Primary All MH providers ~$162 90792 Psychiatric Diagnostic Eval. with Medical Services 60+ min Primary Psychiatrists/prescribers ~$228 90785 Interactive Complexity (Add-On) N/A Add-On All MH providers +~$21 90832 Psychotherapy, 30 Minutes 16-37 min Primary All MH providers ~$68 90833 Psychotherapy Add-On, 30 Min (to E/M) 16-37 min Add-On Psychiatrists only ~$65 90834 Psychotherapy, 45 Minutes 38-52 min Primary All MH providers ~$100 90836 Psychotherapy Add-On, 45 Min (to E/M) 38-52 min Add-On Psychiatrists only ~$97 90837 Psychotherapy, 60 Minutes 53+ min Primary All MH providers ~$134 90838 Psychotherapy Add-On, 60 Min (to E/M) 53+ min Add-On Psychiatrists only ~$131 90846 Family Psychotherapy, Without Patient Present 50+ min Primary All MH providers ~$100 90847 Family Psychotherapy, With Patient Present 50+ min Primary All MH providers ~$110 90853 Group Psychotherapy 45-90 min Primary All MH providers ~$35/member 90839 Crisis Psychotherapy, Initial 30-74 Minutes 30-74 min Primary All MH providers ~$197 90840 Crisis Psychotherapy, Each Additional 30 Minutes +30 min Add-On All MH providers ~$99 NOTE: Add-on codes (90785, 90833, 90836, 90838, 90840) cannot be billed independently. They must be paired with a primary CPT code. Add-on codes are indicated in the Type column above. Diagnostic Evaluation CPT Codes Diagnostic evaluation codes cover the comprehensive initial assessment of a new patient or a patient presenting with a new clinical concern. These codes represent the starting point for most behavioral health treatment relationships. CPT 90791: Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation Use CPT 90791 for a psychiatric diagnostic evaluation that does not include medical services. The provider conducts a thorough psychiatric history, evaluates current symptoms and functional status, and develops a diagnostic formulation and treatment plan. Psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), and marriage and family therapists (MFTs) most commonly use 90791 for initial intake appointments. This code reflects comprehensive clinical assessment without prescribing authority or medical decision-making. Required documentation for 90791: chief complaint and present illness, complete psychiatric history, past treatment history, substance use history, medical and family psychiatric history, a full mental status examination, diagnostic formulation using DSM or ICD criteria, and treatment recommendations with a clear treatment plan. Average Medicare reimbursement: approximately $162. CPT 90792: Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation with Medical Services Use CPT 90792 when the evaluation includes medical services such as prescribing medications, reviewing laboratory results, or exercising medical decision-making. Psychiatrists and other licensed prescribers primarily bill this code. Non-physician mental health providers cannot bill CPT 90792 under any circumstances. Billing 90792 as a psychologist or licensed counselor is a compliance violation. Providers must accurately reflect their scope of practice in code selection. Documentation for 90792 includes all elements of 90791 plus evidence of medical evaluation, medication review, prescribing rationale, and documentation of medical decision-making. Average Medicare reimbursement: approximately $228. Individual Psychotherapy CPT Codes (90832, 90834, and 90837) Individual psychotherapy codes cover one-on-one therapy sessions between a provider and their patient. Time documentation is essential for these codes. Document the exact start and stop times in every clinical note. CPT 90832: Psychotherapy, 30 Minutes (16-37 Minute Sessions) Bill CPT 90832 for individual psychotherapy sessions lasting between 16 and 37 minutes. This is the shortest billed psychotherapy session. Use 90832 for brief check-in sessions, crisis follow-up contacts that do not meet crisis code thresholds, or when session length is shortened due to patient factors. Do not assume that short sessions require 90832