CPT 90840
CPT Code 90840: Psychotherapy for crisis, each additional 30 minutes
90840 is the add-on for long crisis sessions. It is never billed by itself: it goes on the same claim as 90839 and covers each additional 30 minutes of crisis psychotherapy beyond the first hour. The first unit starts at 75 minutes of total crisis time, the second at 105 minutes, and so on.
- Service
- Psychotherapy for crisis, each additional 30 minutes
- Category
- Crisis
- Time range
- Each extra 30 minutes, from 75 minutes total
- Add-on, billed with
- 90839
- 2026 Medicare (non-QP)
- $77.16
When to use 90840
- A crisis session that runs 75 minutes or longer in total on the date of service
- Always together with 90839 on the same claim
What to document
- Total crisis time, which has to support every 90840 unit billed
- Everything 90839 needs: the crisis, the assessment, interventions, and disposition
- Why the crisis needed more than an hour of care
Common reasons 90840 gets denied
- Billed without 90839
- Documented crisis time under 75 minutes
- More units billed than the documented time supports
How much does 90840 pay in 2026?
The 2026 non-QP Medicare national non-facility rate for 90840 is about $77.16. Commercial payers usually land somewhere around $85 - $116 (roughly 110-150% of Medicare), though contracts run from below 80% to above 200%. As an add-on, 90840 is paid on top of the primary code it's billed with (90839), never on its own. A few things worth remembering: these figures use the non-QP conversion factor ($33.4009) - clinicians who are Qualifying APM Participants (QPs) are paid under a slightly higher factor - Medicare pays master's-level clinicians (LCSW, LMFT, LPC) about 75% of the listed amount, and your locality's geographic adjustment (GPCI) shifts the number a little.
Medicare figures verified against the official CMS 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Relative Value Files (RVU26D) on .
Want the math for your own week of sessions and payer mix? Try the CPT reimbursement calculator - stack your codes, set your rates, and see weekly, monthly, and annual revenue.
Related codes
Frequently asked questions
How many units of 90840 can you bill?
One unit for each additional 30 minutes beyond the first 60. In practice, 75 to 104 minutes of crisis time is 90839 plus one unit of 90840, and 105 to 134 minutes is 90839 plus two units.
This page is general reference for 2026 and is not billing, legal, or coding advice. Code rules, time ranges, and reimbursement depend on the current CPT and CMS guidelines, your payer contracts, state, locality, and credentials - always confirm against your payer's policy. See the full mental health CPT code list.