Billing and coding
How to use CPT code 90832
If your client demonstrates a clinical need for shorter therapy sessions — or you need to end a session earlier than planned — 90832 might be the right way to bill.
December 21, 2023
9 min read
CPT code 90832 description
Code 90832 represents a 30-minute session of psychotherapy (i.e. talk therapy), with between 16 and 37 minutes of documented face-to-face time.
Because therapists typically schedule their sessions for longer than 30 minutes, this code traditionally isn’t used as often as codes for 45- and 60-minute sessions. Although it has become more popular in the telemedicine age.
This is is how the American Medical Association defines 90832 in the official CPT codebook:
Psychotherapy, 30 minutes with patient
Psychotherapy is the treatment of mental illness and behavioral disturbances in which the physician or other qualified health care professional, through definitive therapeutic communication, attempts to alleviate the emotional disturbances, reverse or change maladaptive patterns of behavior, and encourage personality growth and development.
The psychotherapy service codes include ongoing assessment and adjustment of psychotherapeutic interventions, and may include involvement of informants in the treatment process. These codes describe psychotherapy for the individual patient, although times are for face-to-face services with patient and may include informant(s). The patient must be present for all or a majority of the service.
Your documentation for this code should include all the standard elements of a progress note, including:
- Session details: Including patient name and date of birth on every page, start and stop times, date, and place of service
- Person-centered details
- Patient-centered observations
- Clinical interventions and evidence-based practices used during the session
- Progress towards goals
- Risk assessment
- Clinical path forward
Practice in-network with confidence
Simplify insurance and save time on your entire workflow — from compliance and billing to credentialing and admin.
It’s important to use the code that most accurately reflects the time you spent with the patient to treat their condition, and ensure that documentation for the session supports the chosen code.
CPT code 90832 time frame
The 90832 code is directly associated with a length of time: As the “30 minute” code, any session billed with 90832 should last between 16 and 37 minutes in duration, as documented by the start and stop times in your progress notes.
The time requirement of the 90832 code should reflect only the face-to-face time spent on therapy, not any of the administrative work related to the session, like writing notes, scheduling future sessions, or collecting payment.
CPT code 90832 reimbursement rates
Reimbursement rates for sessions billed with 90832 will vary depending on the plan, your contract, your location, and your license type.
What’s the difference between 90837, 90834, and 90832?
How to code psychotherapy with medical services: 90833 vs. 90832
If you’re a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner administering medical services along with psychotherapy (such as prescribing medication), instead of a 90832, you should use the appropriate evaluation and management code (E/M) based on medical decision making criteria, plus a psychotherapy add-on code such as 90833 (representing 16–37 minutes of psychotherapy).
This document is intended for educational purposes only. It is designed to facilitate compliance with payer requirements and applicable law, but please note that the applicable laws and requirements vary from payer to payer and state to state. Please check with your legal counsel or state licensing board for specific requirements.
Practice in-network with confidence
Simplify insurance and save time on your entire workflow — from compliance and billing to credentialing and admin.
This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.
© 2025 Therapymatch, Inc. dba Headway. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.
Billing and coding
The 10+ most common CPT codes (and how to use them)
Understand the ins and outs of CPT codes to help make documentation and billing more efficient — and give you more time to focus on other areas of your practice.
How to bill insurance for therapy
Headway strives to simplify billing insurance so you can focus on providing care. Read our comprehensive guide to mental health billing.
The 13 most common psychiatry CPT codes (and how to use them)
Understand the ins and outs of CPT codes to help make documentation and billing more efficient — and give you more time to focus on other areas of your practice.