CPT 90837 reports individual psychotherapy of approximately 60 minutes. It is the longest of the three routine individual therapy codes and is often subject to additional medical-necessity review.
When to use 90837
Select 90837 when total documented psychotherapy time is 53–67 minutes. Use 90834 for 38–52 minutes and 90832 for 16–37 minutes. Because payers scrutinize this code, documentation should justify the extended time.
How to bill it
Report a single unit with documented start and stop times. Some payers require modifiers or additional justification when 90837 is used routinely.
Common pitfalls
- Using 90837 routinely without documentation that justifies the extended length.
- Expecting higher reimbursement without recognizing the added audit risk.
Frequently asked questions
Is 90837 harder to get reimbursed?
It can be. Many payers review 90837 more closely than 90834, so clinical documentation should clearly support the medical necessity of the longer session.
What if my session ran 50 minutes?
A 38–52 minute session maps to 90834, not 90837. Only sessions of 53–67 minutes qualify for 90837.