Mental health CPT codes
The CPT codes therapists bill most often, with each code's time range and 2026 Medicare rate. Open a code to see what to document, why claims get denied, and how to bill it by telehealth.
Which therapy code fits the session
Individual therapy codes go by the minutes you spend with the client, not the length of the appointment.
Intake
Individual therapy
Family and couples therapy
Group therapy
Crisis
Add-ons and screening
About these rates
- They're 2026 national non-facility amounts from the CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Relative Value Files (RVU26D), checked on , at the non-QP conversion factor of $33.4009.
- Medicare pays master's-level clinicians (LCSW, LMFT, LPC) about 75% of the listed amount, and your locality's adjustment (GPCI) moves it a little.
- Add-on codes are paid on top of the code they're billed with, never alone.
- 90846 has restricted Medicare coverage. When Medicare covers it, the contractor sets the price, so the figure is an estimate from the RVUs.
- 90849: Medicare often won't pay for 90849. Wellpoint Federal, the Medicare contractor for jurisdictions J6 and JK, says multiple-family group psychotherapy doesn't meet Medicare's standard of therapy directed at the beneficiary's own condition, and approves claims only on individual consideration. Check your own contractor's billing article before counting on the rate below. Read the CMS article .
Need the numbers for your own caseload?
Add a typical week of sessions to the CPT reimbursement calculator and see weekly, monthly and annual revenue at your rates and payer mix.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main mental health CPT codes?
The everyday set is 90791 for the intake, 90832, 90834 and 90837 for individual therapy at 30, 45 and 60 minutes, 90846 and 90847 for family and couples therapy, and 90853 for group therapy. Less common are 90839 and 90840 for crisis psychotherapy, the 90785 interactive complexity add-on, 96127 for scored screeners like the PHQ-9, and 90849 for multiple-family groups.
What is 90834 used for?
90834 is individual psychotherapy for a 45-minute session, which covers 38 to 52 minutes with the client. It's the code for routine, ongoing outpatient therapy. Sessions of 53 minutes or more are 90837.
What CPT code is used for the first session?
90791, the psychiatric diagnostic evaluation. It's the intake assessment that ends in a diagnosis and a treatment plan, and most payers cover it once at the start of care.
What is the difference between 90834 and 90837?
Time. 90834 is the 45-minute session, 38 to 52 minutes, and 90837 is the 60-minute session, 53 minutes or more. Under Medicare, 90837 pays about 47% more, so write down the time that supports it.
Do these 2026 Medicare rates apply in my state?
They're the national non-facility rates from the CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Your locality's geographic adjustment (GPCI) moves them a little, Medicare pays master's-level clinicians about 75% of the listed rate, and commercial contracts vary widely. Treat the numbers as a starting point.
General reference for 2026, not billing, legal or coding advice. Code rules and payment depend on current CPT and CMS guidelines and your payer contracts, so confirm against your payer's policy.