Mental Health Coding: 3 FAQs Help You Code Psych Services Properly

Why This Topic Matters

Mental health billing often involves overlapping service types and time-based reporting rules, so small documentation errors can affect reimbursement and audit risk. This article helps readers recognize the general categories of guidance they need to review when coding behavioral health encounters.

Article Sections

1. E/M vs. Eval—Which Is Correct?

   Compares two broad categories of psychiatric assessment reporting and discusses the factors considered when selecting between them.

2. Know the Psychotherapy Time Guidelines

   Reviews time-based psychotherapy reporting concepts and how session activities are treated in a psychiatric visit context.

3. Patient Not Present? Know What to Bill

   Addresses psychotherapy reporting when family members are involved and when the patient is not present for part or all of the session.