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Field-tested guidance for therapy, psychiatric, and speech practices, from the team that grew one practice from roughly $6,000 to roughly $150,000 a month.
In-depth guides
Mental health billing explained: CPT session codes, MBHO carve-outs, authorizations, denials, telehealth rules and where therapy practices lose revenue.
How insurance billing and credentialing work for therapy and behavioral health practices in Arizona: AHCCCS plans and filing limits, the 60-day credentialing law that took effect in April 2026, prompt-pay and interest rules, and prior authorization deadlines.
10 min read · Read the guide →How insurance billing works for therapy, behavioral health, and speech therapy practices in California: DMHC and CDI plans, claim payment deadlines and interest, prior authorization timelines, timely access standards, and Medi-Cal filing limits.
11 min read · Read the guide →How insurance billing works for therapy and behavioral health practices in Massachusetts: MassHealth's 90-day billing deadline and waivers, behavioral health carve-outs, 45-day prompt pay with interest, the annual behavioral health wellness exam, and prior authorization changes.
9 min read · Read the guide →How insurance billing works for therapy and behavioral health practices in Oregon: Oregon Health Plan enrollment and CCO contracts, the 12-month filing limit, 30-day prompt pay with 12% interest, and the two-business-day prior authorization rule.
9 min read · Read the guide →Regional center billing isn't insurance billing. It runs on vendor numbers, service codes, Purchase of Service authorizations, and monthly invoices through the DDS eBilling system. Here's how it works for speech therapy, early intervention, and home and community-based vendors, and where the money gets lost.
13 min read · Read the guide →How insurance billing and credentialing work for therapy and behavioral health practices in Rhode Island: the 45-day credentialing law and provisional credentialing, 30-day prompt pay with 12% interest, prior authorization for outpatient behavioral health, and Medicaid filing limits.
9 min read · Read the guide →A side-by-side reference of the payer rules that matter to therapy and behavioral health practices in Washington, Arizona, California, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island: claim payment deadlines and interest, prior authorization timelines, credentialing deadlines, and Medicaid filing limits.
6 min read · Read the guide →The benchmarks Sharp Networks Group holds therapy and behavioral health practices to, from eligibility checks to denial follow-up and CAQH attestation: one core standard for each stage of the revenue cycle, plus the numbers that show whether a practice is on track.
5 min read · Read the guide →How insurance billing and credentialing work for therapy and behavioral health practices in Washington: CAQH credentialing, the state's administrative simplification best practices, prompt-pay and prior authorization deadlines, and Apple Health.
11 min read · Read the guide →Payer IDs for Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Carelon, Medicare MACs and TRICARE, with the claim, eligibility and ERA transactions each payer supports.
12 min read · Read the guide →CAQH setup, MBHO enrollment, realistic timelines by payer type, multi-state telehealth credentialing, and what to do during the waiting period — the full credentialing picture for LCSWs, LPCs, LMFTs, psychologists, and PMHNPs.
14 min read · Read the guide →The money conversation is harder in therapy than in any other clinical setting — and avoiding it makes the problem worse. A clear financial policy set at intake, combined with an active biller who handles the follow-up, is what protects both the therapeutic relationship and the practice's revenue.
11 min read · Read the guide →How to scale a mental health group practice: the billing, credentialing and operations steps to rebuild as you add clinicians and states, in order.
12 min read · Read the guide →Quick references
Lookup tables and checklists our own billing team uses every week. Free to use and share. If you cite one, a link back is appreciated.
Everything
32 resources
How psychiatrists and PMHNPs bill medication management: E/M levels, the 90833, 90836 and 90838 add-ons, 90792 intakes, and the denials they cause.
How to bill psychological and neuropsychological testing: 96130–96139 by unit, technician codes, 96127 screenings, prior authorization and common denials.
How to bill telehealth therapy and psychiatry: POS 02 vs 10, modifiers 95, 93 and GT, audio-only sessions, Medicare rules, cross-state licensing and denials.
How insurance billing and credentialing work for therapy and behavioral health practices in Arizona: AHCCCS plans and filing limits, the 60-day credentialing law that took effect in April 2026, prompt-pay and interest rules, and prior authorization deadlines.
How insurance billing works for therapy, behavioral health, and speech therapy practices in California: DMHC and CDI plans, claim payment deadlines and interest, prior authorization timelines, timely access standards, and Medi-Cal filing limits.
On January 1, 2027, CPT 92507 is deleted and replaced by ten time-based speech-language treatment codes. Here's how the new codes work, how to count units, and the billing, EHR, contract, and regional center changes speech therapy practices should make before the switch.
SimplePractice, PracticeQ (formerly IntakeQ), and Tebra (formerly Kareo) can all create and send insurance claims. None of them will chase a denial, call a payer, or notice that an authorization is about to run out. Here's where the software stops and the billing work starts.
How insurance billing works for therapy and behavioral health practices in Massachusetts: MassHealth's 90-day billing deadline and waivers, behavioral health carve-outs, 45-day prompt pay with interest, the annual behavioral health wellness exam, and prior authorization changes.
How insurance billing works for therapy and behavioral health practices in Oregon: Oregon Health Plan enrollment and CCO contracts, the 12-month filing limit, 30-day prompt pay with 12% interest, and the two-business-day prior authorization rule.
Regional center billing isn't insurance billing. It runs on vendor numbers, service codes, Purchase of Service authorizations, and monthly invoices through the DDS eBilling system. Here's how it works for speech therapy, early intervention, and home and community-based vendors, and where the money gets lost.
How insurance billing and credentialing work for therapy and behavioral health practices in Rhode Island: the 45-day credentialing law and provisional credentialing, 30-day prompt pay with 12% interest, prior authorization for outpatient behavioral health, and Medicaid filing limits.
Speech therapy billing looks simple until a practice mixes commercial plans, Medi-Cal, and regional center consumers. Here are the CPT codes, diagnosis codes, modifiers, and benefit rules that decide whether a speech therapy claim gets paid, plus the denials we see most often.
A side-by-side reference of the payer rules that matter to therapy and behavioral health practices in Washington, Arizona, California, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island: claim payment deadlines and interest, prior authorization timelines, credentialing deadlines, and Medicaid filing limits.
The benchmarks Sharp Networks Group holds therapy and behavioral health practices to, from eligibility checks to denial follow-up and CAQH attestation: one core standard for each stage of the revenue cycle, plus the numbers that show whether a practice is on track.
How insurance billing and credentialing work for therapy and behavioral health practices in Washington: CAQH credentialing, the state's administrative simplification best practices, prompt-pay and prior authorization deadlines, and Apple Health.
The 'best' payer for mental health depends on which side of the relationship you're evaluating. For patients, it's about access and cost. For practices, it's about rates, authorization burden, and network strategy. Here's how to think about both.
LCSWs, psychologists, and psychiatrists have long billed Medicare directly. As of January 2024, LPCs and LMFTs gained independent Medicare billing rights for the first time. Here's who qualifies, how enrollment works, and what Medicare behavioral health providers need to have in place before the first claim goes out.
2026 Medicare rates for 90791, 90834, 90837 and other mental health CPT codes, plus how location, provider type and telehealth change what you're paid.
Mental health billing companies typically charge 7–10% of collections — but pricing models vary, scope varies, and the lowest quote isn't always the best value. Here's what the fee should actually include and what to watch for when comparing options.
Payer IDs for Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Carelon, Medicare MACs and TRICARE, with the claim, eligibility and ERA transactions each payer supports.
The 3-month rule in mental health means three 90-day billing windows: retroactive credentialing, timely filing and authorization renewals, explained.
Which providers can bill Medicare, Medicaid and commercial plans for mental health services, plus NPI, supervision and associate-level billing rules.
CAQH setup, MBHO enrollment, realistic timelines by payer type, multi-state telehealth credentialing, and what to do during the waiting period — the full credentialing picture for LCSWs, LPCs, LMFTs, psychologists, and PMHNPs.
The money conversation is harder in therapy than in any other clinical setting — and avoiding it makes the problem worse. A clear financial policy set at intake, combined with an active biller who handles the follow-up, is what protects both the therapeutic relationship and the practice's revenue.
How to scale a mental health group practice: the billing, credentialing and operations steps to rebuild as you add clinicians and states, in order.
Mental health billing explained: CPT session codes, MBHO carve-outs, authorizations, denials, telehealth rules and where therapy practices lose revenue.
Adding an LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or PMHNP represents real growth potential for a mental health practice. It also represents a billing setup gap that, if not managed correctly, can mean 60–150 days of full session volume with no reimbursement.
A credentialing delay isn't a paperwork problem for therapists and psychiatric providers — it's a revenue problem that compounds daily. The financial cost of a 90-day enrollment gap is specific, calculable, and entirely preventable.
Denial codes are not just billing errors — they are operational diagnostics. These five codes, when they appear consistently in a therapy or psychiatric practice, tell you exactly where the front office process has broken down.
Multi-state expansion for therapists and psychiatric providers doesn't create linear complexity — it creates multiplicative complexity. Every state is a separate credentialing ecosystem, MBHO landscape, and Medicaid universe. Here's what actually changes.
RCM automation has real ROI for mental health practices — but only in the right places. Here's where the numbers are proven for therapist and psychiatric billing, where human judgment is irreplaceable, and what to avoid.
Most mental health practices focus on what they bill. The ones that grow focus on what they collect. The four layers between a submitted therapy claim and a deposited dollar is where revenue is won or lost.
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