How to Bill for Telehealth for Behavioral Health?

Telehealth is an effective and convenient care delivery model that allows patients to receive care remotely. Here’s how to bill for telehealth services.

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Introduction

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a rapid expansion of telehealth use as a way to provide care while protecting patients and providers from exposure. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued temporary regulations that expand access to Medicare telehealth services and make it easier for providers to get paid for these services.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth is the use of digital information and communication technologies, such as computers and mobile devices, to access health care services remotely and manage one’s health.

Telehealth includes a broad range of services and technologies, such as:
-Live videoconferencing
-Store-and-forward (asynchronous) digital imaging
-Remote patient monitoring
-Mobile health (mHealth) applications

What is Behavioral Health?

Behavioral health is a term that is used to describe a field of medicine that focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing psychological disorders. These disorders can include anything from anxiety and depression to eating disorders and substance abuse. Many people who work in this field are mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists.

What are the Benefits of Telehealth for Behavioral Health?

Patients who receive behavioral health care through telehealth have access to a number of benefits. They can receive care from the comfort of their own homes, which can be especially helpful for those who live in rural or underserved areas. In addition, telehealth appointments are often more flexible and convenient than in-person appointments, which can make it easier for patients to stick to their treatment plans. Moreover, telehealth can help reduce the stigma associated with mental health conditions by providing anonymity and privacy.

How to Bill for Telehealth for Behavioral Health?

Telehealth is the provision of health care services using telecommunications technology. It allows health care providers to deliver care to patients in remote locations. Telehealth can be used for a variety of services, including mental health services.

What are the Guidelines for Telehealth for Behavioral Health?

There are a few things that you need to know in order to bill for telehealth for behavioral health. First, you will need to have a licensed mental health professional on staff. This could be a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or other similar professional. You will also need to have a way to bill for the service, which is typically through a third-party billing company. Finally, you will need to have a way to deliver the service, which is typically through video conferencing software.

What are the CPT Codes for Telehealth for Behavioral Health?

There are a few different CPT codes for telehealth for behavioral health. The best way to determine which one to use is by asking your provider what the purpose of the visit is. The codes are as follows:

-90791: for an initial evaluation
-90792: for a follow-up evaluation
-90837: for individual psychotherapy, 30 minutes
-90839: for individual psychotherapy, 45 minutes
-90846: for family psychotherapy with the patient present, 30 minutes
-90847: for family psychotherapy with the patient present, 45 minutes

What are the ICD-10 Codes for Telehealth for Behavioral Health?

The ICD-10 code for telehealth for behavioral health is:

F51.5- Telehealth for behavioral health

This code is used to report telehealth services that are rendered to a patient for the purpose of providing behavioral health care.

Conclusion

You may have seen the recent news that Medicare will now reimburse for telehealth services for behavioral health. This is a big deal because it means that Medicare will now pay for therapy sessions that are conducted over video conferencing platforms like Skype or Facetime. This is great news for therapists who want to offer their services to a wider audience, and it opens up a whole new world of possibilities for how therapy can be conducted.

However, there are still some questions about how exactly to bill for these services. The good news is that there are many resources available to help you figure out how to bill for telehealth services. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you start billing for telehealth services:

1. Make sure you understand the rules and regulations around billing for telehealth services. There are many different rules and regulations that apply to different types of providers, so it’s important to make sure you understand the requirements for your specific situation.

2. There are many different ways to bill for telehealth services. You can choose to bill by the minute, by the session, or by the package. You’ll need to decide what makes the most sense for your business model and your clients.

3. You’ll need to make sure you have the right technology in place to provide quality service. This includes having a good internet connection and a webcam with HD quality.

4. Be sure to keep good records of your sessions so that you can properly document the service you provided. This will be important if you ever need to file a claim or appeal a decision made by Medicare.

5When in doubt, ask for help! There are many resources available to help you understand how to bill for telehealth services. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask someone who knows more about billing than you do.