Billing for psychologists
Billing services for psychologists
Billing for psychologists and psychology groups, including psychotherapy and psychological and neuropsychological testing. Units, authorizations and technician time handled correctly, so testing gets paid.
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- Psychological testing
- Neuropsych evaluation
- Therapy & health behavior
Why psychology billing is different
Testing claims are easy to underbill and easy to deny
Therapy is only part of a psychology practice. Psychological and neuropsychological testing is billed in a family of codes split between test administration and the psychologist’s evaluation work, by time and by who did it. One missing unit or the wrong code for a technician’s time and the claim is underpaid or denied.
Testing often needs prior authorization, approved for a specific number of hours. Bill more than was approved and the extra is denied. Bill less and you’ve left money behind.
We set up testing billing so administration time, evaluation time, report writing and feedback sessions are all captured and coded correctly against the authorization.
Where revenue gets stuck
Where psychology practices lose revenue
Testing units
Administration and evaluation time split across the right codes and add-on units.
Technician time
Tests given by a technician billed with technician codes, not the psychologist’s.
Authorizations
Testing hours requested and billed within what the payer approved.
Evaluation & feedback
Interpretation, report writing and feedback time documented and billed.
Therapy claims
Psychotherapy coded to documented time, as for any therapy practice.
Health behavior services
Health behavior assessment and intervention codes used where they fit.
Codes we work with every day
Psychology code set
Testing codes are billed by time and by who performed the work. These are the ones we work with most.
9613096131961329613396136961379613896139961169079190837
| Code(s) | What it covers | Where it goes wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 96130 / 96131 | Psychological evaluation services by the psychologist, first hour / each extra hour | Report and feedback time not counted |
| 96132 / 96133 | Neuropsychological evaluation services, first hour / each extra hour | Psychological and neuropsychological codes mixed up |
| 96136 / 96137 | Test administration by the psychologist, first 30 minutes / each extra 30 | Units don’t match documented time |
| 96138 / 96139 | Test administration by a technician, first 30 minutes / each extra 30 | Technician time billed under psychologist codes |
| 96116 / 96121 | Neurobehavioral status exam | Billed without the required documentation |
| 90791, 90832–90837 | Diagnostic evaluation and psychotherapy | Time not documented |
| 96156, 96158 / 96159 | Health behavior assessment and intervention | Billed with a mental health diagnosis as primary |
Authorizations & session limits
Never find out about a session limit from a denial
Many plans limit sessions per year or require authorization after an initial number of visits. We track both for every client.
Benefits mapped at intake
Visit limits, authorization rules and carve-out administrators recorded before the first session.
Counts tracked per client
Sessions used against the limit and the authorization, updated as claims go out.
Renewals flagged early
Your team hears about an expiring authorization before the last approved session, not after.
Concurrent reviews
Requests for updated treatment information routed to the clinician with what the payer needs.
For testing practices
Testing billed in full, within the authorization
We line up the authorization, the hours actually used and the codes billed, so every approved hour gets paid and nothing is billed beyond it.
- Authorized hours tracked against hours billed
- Technician and psychologist time coded separately
- Multi-day testing billed on the right dates
- Therapy billed alongside testing in one process
The Cure MB difference
What changes for your psychology practice
Cleaner claims
Codes, modifiers and payer rules for psychology checked before every submission.
Denials worked, not written off
Each denial is read, corrected or appealed, and the cause tracked.
Stronger collections
Aging claims followed by phone and portal until they’re paid or closed with a reason.
Reports you can read
A monthly view of collections, denials and A/R for your psychology practice.
Client stories
What practices say about working with us
Behavioral health
I used to dread the end of the month. Now I open one report and I know what was billed, what was paid and which claims are still being worked. When a denial comes in, someone has usually already called the payer before I hear about it.
Dr. Rachel MorenoPsychiatrist, solo practice · Austin, TX
Physical therapy
I’m a clinician, not a biller. They understand timed codes and plan-of-care rules, they answer email the same day, and for the first time I actually understand my A/R report.
Megan Carlisle, PT, DPTClinic owner · Denver, CO
Family medicine
Most of our patients are on Medicare or Medicaid, and the paperwork rules change constantly. Cure MB catches eligibility problems before the visit, and my front desk stopped fielding angry statement calls.
Dr. Daniel OkaforFamily physician, four-provider practice · Columbus, OH
Editing note (hidden on the live site): these six testimonials are SAMPLES that show the finished design. To publish a real one, edit the quote, name, role and city, then delete the classes cmb-placeholder and cmb-sample (Block → Advanced → Additional CSS class). Delete any sample you do not replace. The whole section stays hidden on the live site until at least one real testimonial is in.
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Services for psychology
Everything your practice needs
Therapist & psychologist credentialingEligibility & authorizationsMedical billing & codingDenial managementA/R follow-up
FAQ
Psychology billing questions
Short answers to what practices ask us most.
How is psychological testing billed?
Testing is billed in two parts: test administration (96136 to 96139, depending on who administers it) and evaluation services such as interpretation, report writing and feedback (96130/96131, or 96132/96133 for neuropsychological evaluation). Each is billed by time.
Does psychological testing need prior authorization?
Often, yes. Many payers approve a set number of hours. We request authorization, track hours used and bill within what was approved.
Can technicians administer tests?
Yes, and their time is billed with technician codes 96138 and 96139. The psychologist’s evaluation work is billed separately.
Do you bill psychotherapy for psychologists too?
Yes. Most psychology practices bill both, and we handle both in one process.
Other specialties
Billing for other specialties
Mental & Behavioral HealthPsychiatryTherapy & CounselingPhysical TherapyChiropracticAcupunctureUrgent CareWound CareInternal Medicine & Primary CareAll specialties
Talk to a billing specialist
Talk to a specialist about psychology billing
Tell us what is happening with your billing. A specialist who works this area every day will reply within one business day.
- Call(817) 396-6663
- Emailsupport@curemb.com
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