96138: Test administration and scoring by technician, first 30 minutes
96138 is test administration and scoring by a technician working under the psychologist, first 30 minutes; 96139 covers each additional 30 minutes. The psychologist still bills the evaluation service (96130 and 96131).
- Kind
- CPT code
- Family
- testing
- Time
- First 30 minutes; 96139 for each additional 30 minutes
- Who bills
- Psychologists
- Telehealth
- Eligible
- Add-on
- Stands alone
When to use it
Use it when a qualified technician administers and scores standardized tests under your supervision.
When not to
Do not use it for your own administration time (96136 and 96137) or for interpretation.
With children and families
Technician-delivered testing with children requires the same telehealth care: a prepared room, valid instruments, and clear notes on who administered what. On Emora most evaluations are delivered by the psychologist directly; technician codes are here for completeness.
Questions about 96138
- Who counts as a technician?
- A qualified staff member trained to administer standardized tests under the psychologist's supervision, per payer rules.
- Is 96138 common on Emora?
- Not very. Most Emora evaluations are administered by the psychologist (96136 and 96137); 96138 and 96139 exist for practices that use technicians.
Related
| Code | What it is | Time | Who bills | Telehealth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96136 | Test administration and scoring by psychologist, first 30 minutes | First 30 minutes; 96137 for each additional 30 minutes | Psychologists | Yes |
| 96139 | Test administration and scoring by technician, each additional 30 minutes | Each additional 30 minutes after 96138 | Psychologists | Yes |
General information for licensed clinicians, not billing advice. Insurers reimburse each code differently and payer contracts control; Emora handles the billing.
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