Psychiatry Coding & Reimbursement Alert

Answer: Even though you report the services of different practitioners under a common tax id, you should not combine the services provided by two different types of clinicians, especially if one of those clinicians (such as some therapists) cannot report an E/M code. You should report an add-on code (+90833, +90836 or +90838) for the psychotherapy aspect of the service only if the same clinician performs an evaluation of the patient or performs medication management that is otherwise coded with an E/M code (rather than +90863).

 

Since the patient in your case scenario is being seen by two different provider types (i.e. a physician and a therapist), you will report the psychotherapy aspect of the service using 90832, 90834 or 90837 depending on the time spent for the session. You will report the E/M service with a distinct and appropriate E/M code under that physician’s identification number.

 

Provide documentation to indicate that both the services were separate and were performed by two different practitioners to help avoid denial of either of the services provided.