psychological-testing.pdf

Page 1 of 3

Copies of the CPT manual can be ordered from the AMA https://commerce.ama-assn.org/store or by calling (800) 621-8335.

Psychological Testing

Crosswalk for 2019 Psychological Testing and Evaluation CPT® Codes

CPT® Codes and Descriptors Effective January 1, 2019

Professional and Technical Activities Performed by the Psychologist

Please note that the new codes do not cross-walk on a one-to-one basis with the deleted codes. The single code, 96101, will now be billed using up to four

(4) codes; two (2) codes for Psychological Evaluation Services (96130, 96131) and two (2) for Test Administration and Scoring (96136, 96137).

• Evaluation services include interpretation of test results and clinical

data, integration of patient data, clinical decision making, treatment

planning, report generation, and interactive feedback to the patient,

family member(s) or caregiver(s).

- The first hour of psychological evaluation is billed using 96130

and each additional hour needed to complete the service is

billed with the add-on code 96131.

- CPT Time Rules allow an additional unit of a time-based code

to be reported as long as the mid-point of the stated amount

of time is passed. Beyond the first hour (96130), at least an

additional 31 minutes of work must be performed to bill the first

unit of the add-on code 96131.

• Evaluation services must always be performed by the professional

prior to test administration, and may be billed on the same or

different days.

• Test administration and scoring services performed by the

psychologist includes time spent to administer and score a minimum

of two (2) psychological tests.

- The first 30 minutes of test administration and scoring is billed

using 96136 and each additional 30-minute increment needed

to complete the service is billed with code 96137.

- CPT time rules apply to the add-on code if, beyond the first 30

minutes, at least an additional 16 minutes of work is performed.

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

BY PSYCHOLOGIST OR PHYSICIAN

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING EVALUATION SERVICES

BY PROFESSIONAL

2018

CPT® Code

2018 CPT® Descriptor

2019

CPT® Code

2019 CPT® Descriptor



Psychological testing (includes psychodiagnostic

assessment of emotionality intellectual abilities

personality and psychopathology eg MMPI

Rorschach WAIS) per hour of the psychologist’s

or physician’s time both face-to-face time

administering tests to the patient and time

interpreting these test results and preparing the

report

*

Psychological testing evaluation services by

physician or other qualified health care professional

including integration of patient data interpretation

of standardized test results and clinical data clinical

decision making treatment planning and report and

interactive feedback to the patient family member(s)

or caregiver(s) when performed first hour

*

Each additional hour (List separately in addi-

tion to code for primary procedure)

TEST ADMINISTRATION AND SCORING

BY PROFESSIONAL

**

Psychological or neuropsychological test

administration and scoring by physician or other

qualified health care professional two or more tests

any method first  minutes

**

Each additional  minutes (List separately

in addition to code for primary procedure)

* Professional services, such as test selection, clinical decision-making and test interpretation, previously billed with 96101, should now be billed using psychological evaluation codes

(96130 and 96131).

**Time spent scoring tests is now considered to be billable time.

Page 2 of 3

Copies of the CPT manual can be ordered from the AMA https://commerce.ama-assn.org/store or by calling (800) 621-8335.

Psychological Testing

Crosswalk for 2019 Psychological Testing and Evaluation CPT® Codes

CPT® Codes and Descriptors Effective January 1, 2019

Professional Services Performed by the Psychologist and Technical Services Performed by Technician

Please note that the new codes do not cross-walk on a one-to-one basis with the deleted codes. The single code, 96102, will now be billed using four (4)

codes; two (2) codes for Psychological Evaluation Services (96130, 96131) and two (2) for Test Administration and Scoring by Technician (96138, 96139).

• Psychological Evaluation services include interpretation of test results

and clinical data, integration of patient data, clinical decision making,

treatment planning, report generation, and interactive feedback to the

patient, family member(s) or caregiver(s).

- The first hour of evaluation is billed using 96130 and each

additional hour needed to complete the service is billed with

code add-on 96131.

- CPT Time Rules allow an additional unit of a time-based code

to be reported as long as the mid-point of the stated amount

of time is passed. Beyond the first hour (96130), at least an

additional 31 minutes of work must be performed to bill the first

unit of the add-on code 96131.

• Evaluation services must always be performed by the professional

prior to test administration, and may be billed on the same or

different days.

• Test administration and scoring services performed by the Technician

includes time spent to administer and score a minimum of two (2)

psychological tests.

- The first 30 minutes of test administration and scoring is billed

using 96138 and each additional 30-minute increment needed

to complete the service is billed with code 96139.

- CPT time rules apply to the add-on code if, beyond the first 30

minutes, at least an additional 16 minutes of work is performed.

TECHNICIAN ADMINISTERED

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING EVALUATION SERVICES

BY PROFESSIONAL

2018

CPT® Code

2018 CPT® Descriptor

2019

CPT® Code

2019 CPT® Descriptor



Psychological testing (includes psychodiagnostic

assessment of emotionality intellectual abilities

personality and psychopathology eg MMPI and

WAIS) with qualified health care professional

interpretation and report administered by

technician per hour of technician time face-to-face

*

Psychological testing evaluation services by

physician or other qualified health care professional

including integration of patient data interpretation

of standardized test results and clinical data clinical

decision making treatment planning and report and

interactive feedback to the patient family member(s)

or caregiver(s) when performed first hour

*

Each additional hour (List separately in

addition to code for primary procedure)

TEST ADMINISTRATION AND SCORING

BY TECHNICIAN

**

Psychological or neuropsychological test

administration and scoring by technician two or

more tests any method first  minutes

**

Each additional  minutes (List separately

in addition to code for primary procedure)

* Professional services, such as test selection, clinical decision-making and test interpretation, previously billed with 96102, should now be billed using Psychological Evaluation codes

(96130 & 96131).

**Time spent scoring tests is now considered to be billable time.

Page 3 of 3

Copies of the CPT manual can be ordered from the AMA https://commerce.ama-assn.org/store or by calling (800) 621-8335.

Psychological Testing

Crosswalk for 2019 Psychological Testing and Evaluation CPT® Codes

CPT® Codes and Descriptors Effective January 1, 2019

Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation

Please note that no changes have been made to CPT® code 90791.

• This service includes a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of

psychological and psychosocial conditions and is performed prior to

psychological evaluation and test administration and scoring services.

PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION

2018

CPT® Code

2018 CPT® Descriptor

2019

CPT® Code

2019 CPT® Descriptor

 Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation 

Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation

*No Change for 