Wiki Psychiatrist coding when prescribing/renewing script and psychotherapy? E/M alone?

[dherbert]

I code for family practice however we have recently added a psychiatrist/MD. He performs psychotherapy with meds/med management, most of his patients
are on medications. From reading the CPT manual I was thinking that I use the time based psychotherapy codes with a 90863 however I have just come across some information that states 90863 is not to be used for Psychiatrists prescribing meds, that an E/M code should be used instead.

Do I use an E/M code in conjunction with the add on psychotherapy code or only the E/M code based on his time?? Most of his patients are 30 minute visits.

The information I am finding is not very clear!

Thank you for any advice!!

 

[Cynthia Hughes]

Psychotherapy with medication management

I code for family practice however we have recently added a psychiatrist/MD. He performs psychotherapy with meds/med management, most of his patients
are on medications. From reading the CPT manual I was thinking that I use the time based psychotherapy codes with a 90863 however I have just come across some information that states 90863 is not to be used for Psychiatrists prescribing meds, that an E/M code should be used instead.

Do I use an E/M code in conjunction with the add on psychotherapy code or only the E/M code based on his time?? Most of his patients are 30 minute visits.

The information I am finding is not very clear!

Thank you for any advice!!

When psychotherapy is provided with medication management, you use the add-on psychotherapy codes in conjunction with an E/M code based on key components. You will need documentation of the time of the psychotherapy service (not including the time spent in medication management) in addition to the chief complaint and key components of the E/M. The E/M code cannot be selected based on time. Here is a link to some helpful information - https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiat...-and-reimbursement/frequently-asked-questions. There are additional resources from psychiatry.org that require a member log-in so you might ask the psychiatrist if he/she is a member and can download those for you.

Best wishes,
Cindy