Wiki Group Therapy Multiple Family

Messages
10
Location
Evansville, IN
Best answers
0
Hello,

We are researching billing a possible new parent group using code 90849 - Multiple-Family Group Therapy while the child participates in 90853-Group Psychotherapy. Can the 90849 be billed under the child or does it need to be under the parent with a different diagnosis? Anyone have any experience or insight? Thank you!
 
Last edited:
Everyone who attends 90853 or 90849 must have their own documentation of the encounter. To me, that says each participant is a patient.

Contrast that to family therapy (90846 and 90847), where there is only one patient and one documentation.

Check with insurances to see if they cover group therapy.
 
You can BILL anything. Whether the insurance will allow it and pay is another story. My answer is, I doubt it. This would be like billing two sessions of 90853 for one person.

90849 is group therapy with multiple family members attending. So the patient is already having group therapy with that, you most likely wouldn't get paid for a separate 90853 for just the patient.
 
per Optum 360 Behavioral health services coding book 2020, the group of patients must also be present with the group of their family members. Medicare does not pay for it but other payers may.
 
Top