Coding
Psychotherapy CPT codes: 90791, 90832, 90834 and 90837 explained
Most therapy superbills use a handful of CPT codes, and the individual psychotherapy codes are chosen by time. Here are the ranges, the codes around them, and the mistakes that get a line questioned.
Quick answer
Individual psychotherapy CPT codes are chosen by face-to-face time: 90832 for 16–37 minutes, 90834 for 38–52 minutes and 90837 for 53 minutes or more (their descriptors say 30, 45 and 60 minutes). Psychotherapy under 16 minutes is not reported with these codes. 90791 is the psychiatric diagnostic evaluation used for an intake, 90846 and 90847 are family psychotherapy without and with the client present, and 90853 is group psychotherapy.
Updated · Sources are listed at the end of the page.
Last reviewed October 2026. General information for out-of-network therapists, not legal or billing advice. Payer rules change — confirm with the payer before you bill.
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Check codes freeThe time rule for 90832, 90834 and 90837
The descriptors name 30, 45 and 60 minutes, but CPT’s time rule lets you report the code closest to the actual time. The resulting ranges are below. CMS billing article A57520 states the same ranges and adds that psychotherapy of less than 16 minutes should not be reported.
| Code | Descriptor | Report when the session lasts |
|---|---|---|
| 90832 | Psychotherapy, 30 minutes with patient | 16–37 minutes |
| 90834 | Psychotherapy, 45 minutes with patient | 38–52 minutes |
| 90837 | Psychotherapy, 60 minutes with patient | 53 minutes or more |
Intake: 90791 and 90792
90791 is the psychiatric diagnostic evaluation, the code most therapists use for a first assessment session. 90792 is the same evaluation with medical services and is used by prescribers. Neither is a timed psychotherapy code, so the 16–37–52 ranges do not apply to them.
Whether a plan pays for 90791 and a psychotherapy code on the same day varies; confirm with the payer before billing both.
Family and group codes
Family psychotherapy is 90846 without the client present and 90847 with the client present. Both descriptors say 50 minutes, and APA’s summary of the time rule puts the minimum at 26 minutes. 90849 is multiple-family group psychotherapy and 90853 is group psychotherapy other than a multiple-family group.
Add-on codes: 90785 and the E/M add-ons
Add-on codes are listed on their own line next to the primary code. 90785 (interactive complexity) can be added to 90791, 90832, 90834, 90837 or 90853 when one of the specific communication factors in the CPT manual applies, such as involving a guardian, an interpreter requested by the family, or a school. It cannot be reported only because translation or interpretation was used.
90833, 90836 and 90838 are psychotherapy add-ons used with an evaluation and management visit. They are for prescribers who also provide psychotherapy, and they follow the same 16, 38 and 53-minute thresholds as the stand-alone codes.
Crisis codes: 90839 and 90840
90839 covers the first 60 minutes of psychotherapy for crisis, and 90840 is added for each additional 30 minutes. They are meant for urgent situations, typically life-threatening or highly complex, that need immediate assessment and intervention. Time is the total face-to-face time on that date, even if it is not continuous.
Code the session you actually delivered
Time means time spent with the client and/or family, so write down start and stop times. Rounding a 50-minute session up to 90837 is the classic error: it sits in the 90834 range, and a plan that audits records will see the gap.
Some plans add their own rules on top of CPT, such as documentation requirements for 90837 or limits on sessions per day. Those differ by plan, so confirm with the payer for the specific plan rather than relying on a general list.
CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. The descriptors here are short summaries; the CPT manual is the authoritative text.
How the free check uses these ranges
When you enter a session length, Superbill compares it with the code: a 45-minute session marked 90837 is flagged, and a session under 16 minutes cannot carry a psychotherapy code. It also checks the place of service and modifier for telehealth lines and that each line points at a diagnosis. The code tables ship with the app, and nothing you type is uploaded.
The app only sends your license key and a device id to our license check (which asks Creem) — no patient or practice data ever leaves your browser.
What the free check catches
- CPT vs. session length (90832 = 16–37 min, 90834 = 38–52, 90837 = 53+; these codes require at least 16 minutes)
- Telehealth POS 02 / 10 vs. POS 11, and modifier 95 pairing
- Diagnosis pointers A–D that don’t resolve to a code on the client
- NPI format and check digit, TIN, member ID, units, signatures
- DOS age against the 60 / 90 day timely-filing warnings