90832: Psychotherapy, 30 minutes
90832 is the short individual session: 16 to 37 minutes of face-to-face psychotherapy with the client, or with the client and family members present. It is the smallest of the three timed psychotherapy codes.
- Kind
- CPT code
- Family
- individual
- Time
- 16 to 37 minutes
- Who bills
- Therapists, Psychologists, Associates
- Telehealth
- Eligible
- Add-on
- Stands alone
When to use it
Use it when the therapeutic part of the visit runs 16 to 37 minutes. Under 16 minutes is not billable as psychotherapy. Many young children do best in shorter sessions, and a 30-minute cadence with a parent check-in can be the right clinical plan.
When not to
Do not round a 40-minute session down to 90832 or a 25-minute session up to 90834; the time band decides. Family sessions without the child present are 90846, not 90832.
With children and families
Short sessions are common with children under eight and with teens in the first weeks. Document the minutes with the child, and separately note any parent time; parent-only time is not part of 90832 unless the child is present for the therapeutic work. If the parent joins for the last ten minutes to plan homework, that is still 90832 with the child as identified patient.
Questions about 90832
- Is a 30-minute session too short to bill?
- No. 90832 covers 16 to 37 minutes. Under 16 is not billable.
- Can I bill 90832 for a parent-only check-in?
- No. Parent-only work is 90846 when it is family therapy for the child's treatment.
- Does telehealth change the time rule?
- No. The same minutes apply on video.
Related
General information for licensed clinicians, not billing advice. Insurers reimburse each code differently and payer contracts control; Emora handles the billing.
Bring your license. We bring the families.
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