CPT 90837: Psychotherapy, 60 Minutes
Psychotherapy provided to an individual patient for 60 minutes of face-to-face time for treatment of mental health conditions.
Why CPT 90837 Claims Get Denied
Claims billed under CPT 90837 are frequently denied or downcoded for the following reasons. Understanding these patterns helps your practice reduce denial rates and recover revenue faster.
Insufficient time documentation
Medical necessity not established
Frequency limitations exceeded
Lack of diagnosis or treatment plan
Time not continuous or face-to-face
Billing Tips for CPT 90837
Document exact time spent in face-to-face psychotherapy. Include presenting problem, treatment provided, progress toward goals, and plan. Ensure DSM-5 diagnosis is documented. Track session frequency to ensure compliance with payer limits.
Documentation Requirements
To support a clean claim for CPT 90837, your clinical documentation should include:
DSM-5 diagnosis documented
Presenting problem and symptoms
Time spent documented
Treatment approach used
Progress toward treatment goals
Patient response to treatment
Assessment of mental status
Treatment plan and next steps
Common Modifiers for CPT 90837
Reduce CPT 90837 Denials by 60%
RediClaim's pre-submission scrubber catches documentation gaps and coding errors before you submit, while the appeal generator handles denials that slip through.