Whether you're a psychiatrist, PMHNP, psychologist or licensed therapist, getting credentialed and getting paid correctly for each session are what keep a practice sustainable.
Why specialized behavioral health billing matters
Mental health billing services fail most often on administrative details: the wrong payer (a carve-out), an expired authorization, an add-on code without a qualifying E/M, or a telehealth place-of-service mismatch.
Our behavioral health medical billing services
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication management billing
- Psychotherapy and add-on code billing
- Telehealth claim setup by payer
- Behavioral health carve-out identification
- Credentialing for psychiatrists, PMHNPs, LCSWs, LPCs, LMFTs and psychologists
Every engagement includes our full medical billing services workflow, adapted to behavioral health rules.
Behavioral Health coding and claims management
Examples of the codes and rules our team works with every day:
90791 / 90792
Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation, without and with medical services.
90832 / 90834 / 90837
Individual psychotherapy by time (approximately 30, 45 and 60 minutes); documented time must support the code.
90833 / 90836 / 90838
Psychotherapy add-on codes reported with an E/M service on the same day by prescribers.
Telehealth POS & modifiers
Place of service 02 or 10 and modifiers such as 95 differ by payer; we configure claims to each payer's policy.
Codes are examples, not coding advice. We apply current CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS and payer policy to each claim.
Common behavioral health billing challenges and claim denials
Carve-outs and wrong payer
A patient's medical plan may route behavioral health claims to a separate administrator, causing denials if billed to the medical carrier.
Session limits and authorizations
Some plans limit visits or require authorization after a set number of sessions.
Time-based documentation
Psychotherapy codes depend on documented start/stop or total time.
Credentialing delays
Therapists often lose months of revenue waiting on panels; early, tracked applications matter.
How our RCM services help behavioral health practices
Our behavioral health revenue cycle management starts with verifying mental health benefits specifically — not just medical coverage — and tracking session counts against authorizations.
Insurance eligibility and benefits verification
We verify behavioral health benefits, carve-out administrators, telehealth coverage and visit limits before the first session. Learn about verification.
Payment posting and accounts receivable
We post payments by session and flag underpaid psychotherapy codes against your fee schedules. Unpaid claims are followed up through our A/R management process.
Denial management and appeals
We correct payer, place-of-service and authorization denials quickly so recurring weekly sessions don't stack up unpaid. See our denial management services.
Credentialing and enrollment
Behavioral health credentialing is often the biggest bottleneck. We prepare applications and CAQH for each clinician and follow up weekly until paneled ($150 per payer). Insurance credentialing is $150 per payer.
Why behavioral health providers choose Cyber Sense
- Transparent pricing: 4% of monthly insurance collections, no hidden fees or minimums
- We work inside your existing EHR / PM system
- Billers who understand behavioral health payer rules
- Monthly reports on collections, denials and A/R
- No patient-level data collected through marketing forms; access to your systems is role-based
Our behavioral health medical billing workflow
- 1Practice review and onboarding
- 2Eligibility and authorization checks
- 3Coding review and charge entry
- 4Claim scrubbing and submission
- 5Payment posting and reconciliation
- 6Denial work and A/R follow-up
- 7Monthly reporting and review call
Behavioral Health medical billing FAQs
Do you bill for therapists as well as psychiatrists?
Yes — psychiatrists, PMHNPs, psychologists, LCSWs, LPCs and LMFTs, in solo or group practices.
Can you bill telehealth sessions?
Yes. We set up place-of-service and modifiers based on each payer's current telehealth policy.
What is a behavioral health carve-out?
Some health plans contract mental health benefits to a separate company. Claims must go to that administrator, not the medical plan.
Can you credential a new therapist?
Yes, for $150 per payer, including CAQH setup and weekly follow-up.
Do you handle psychotherapy add-on codes?
Yes, ensuring they are reported with a qualifying E/M and supported time.
Behavioral Health billing articles
- Psychotherapy Time Documentation That Supports ClaimsDocument psychotherapy time accurately, separate clinical work from administrative tasks, and build a review checklist that supports behavioral health claims.
- Psychiatric E/M With Psychotherapy: Separate the ServicesSeparate psychiatric E/M from psychotherapy with clear time records, distinct clinical support, and payer-aware checks before submitting combined visit claims.
- Behavioral Health Telehealth Billing: A Date-Specific WorkflowCheck behavioral health telehealth coverage by service date, patient location, modality, and payer rules without relying on assumed policy extensions.
- Behavioral Health Eligibility and Carve-Out VerificationVerify behavioral health benefits, identify separate administrators, and document network, authorization, and claim-routing details before treatment begins.
- Behavioral Health Authorization and Session TrackingTrack behavioral health authorizations by approved service, clinician, date range, and units so scheduling and billing teams can resolve gaps early.
- Therapist and PMHNP Credentialing: Enrollment ReadinessPrepare therapist and PMHNP credentialing files, distinguish enrollment from contracting, and verify effective dates before releasing network claims.
- Group Therapy Claim Documentation: Patient-Specific RecordsSupport group therapy claims with accurate attendance, patient-specific treatment documentation, and privacy-aware records that reflect the care delivered.
- Family Therapy Billing Boundaries and the Identified PatientClarify family therapy billing boundaries, identify the patient receiving treatment, and distinguish covered clinical care from relationship counseling.
- Mental Health Denial Appeals: Build an Evidence-First ResponseOrganize mental health denial appeals around the stated reason, applicable deadlines, clinical evidence, and the correct review pathway for the plan.
- Behavioral Health Billing Outsourcing: A Controlled HandoffPlan a behavioral health billing handoff with clear ownership, secure access, reconciled balances, and controls for authorizations, claims, and follow-up.
- Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation Billing: Choosing 90791 or 90792How behavioral health practices choose between 90791 and 90792, document the intake evaluation, and avoid common payer denials on initial assessments.
- Psychological Testing Billing: Administration, Technician Time, and Evaluation ServicesA practical guide to billing psychological and neuropsychological testing: separating test administration from evaluation, tracking time, and securing authorization.
- Psychiatric Medication Management Visits: E/M Coding and DocumentationHow psychiatrists and PMHNPs code medication management visits with office E/M, choose MDM or time, and add psychotherapy only when it is separately documented.