In just a few months you’ll need to use new 
CPT coding. The new codes have been updated, streamlined, and in some cases more restrictive codes and requirements go into effect January 01, 2013.
Consider this to be your reminder that you’ll need to have new receipts printed. And, here is where you can find more Answers to Your Questions about the 2013 CPT Codes. (And, the list of new codes is coming soon!)
Hello Tamara,
How often do the CPT codes change?
Thank you!
Sarah
Hi, Sarah Jayne! Welcome to Private Practice from the Inside Out! CPT codes are updated every year. Sometimes the changes are drastic; other years they are barely a blip on the radar.
Thank you, Tamara. That’s interesting. I’m trying to get a feel for the demands of private practice. I really appreciate your blog posts!
Sarah
You are so welcome, Sarah! Let me / us know how we can help along the way! By the way, where are you?
I live in the southeastern tip of Pennsylvania, just 5 minutes from Maryland, and 15 minutes from Delaware. I am in my third quarter working toward a Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling. So much to learn!!!
Sweet! It’s good to have your voice here!
Sarah,
So great that you’re involved here now… I wish I would have known about this community while in graduate school.
It sounds like you’re early in your program, but has there been any discussion of licensure and whether you need licenses in multiple states? It was recommended to me by ACA that I only counsel clients living in Pennsylvania (because I live in that state and that is where I am licensed). I wasn’t told that this was an absolute requirement, but it was highly recommended. I have also heard this from other sources. I’m just curious about what your program may have mentioned to you.
Hey, Lauren, thanks for mentioning this. Actually, in the United States . . . every state dictates who and under what conditions mental health professionals can practice. That means that if you want to work with clients in a particular state – or two or three – you must meet the requirements (which typically vary) in each state. Because of this, I am dually licensed in Texas and Colorado.
You might be interested in reading the CEO of the American Counseling Associations’s keynote that addressed this issue of portability. I believe each of the mental health disciplines is working toward portability of licenses but we haven’t achieved that yet.
Hi Lauren and Tamara,
I apologize for my belated reply. I have been working on completing all of my school assignments so that I can attend the Pennsylvania Counseling Association conference this weekend. I am very excited about getting to hear Dr. Kaplan speak, and the topic of portability is quite relevant to us!
Together my school advisor and I reviewed the requirements for Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. He suggested that I pursue the most demanding state’s requirements. Actually they are not drastically different (i.e. an extra course, additional hours), and although I have only lived here for five months, I was born here and much of my family heritage is here, so I shall begin with Pennsylvania. Over the course of the next year, if I do not find suitable practicum and internship sites here, I may be forced to cross the state borders, then I will have to commit to licensure there. Truth be told, I am hoping to get a clearer picture of all of this at this weekend’s conference! Lauren, are you attending? If so, it would be a delight to meet you!
Thank you both so much for the discussion here!
Sarah (no photo yet?)
Hey, Sarah! Wish I was going to PCA’s conference! Maybe they’ll have me come keynote one year for them! When you meet Dr. Kaplan, please let him know that you saw his keynote here and that we are all so grateful for the work the American Counseling Associations is doing to increase portability of licensure for counselors.
It sounds like you have a great advisor at school if s/he is taking the time to review those requirements for licensure in 3 different states. Good for you!
Hi Tamara, you must let us know when you come to Pennsylvania. There is always a guest room waiting here!
Sarah
Oh, my goodness! Just the thought of heading to Pennsylvania to meet some of you guys sounds DIVINE! Besides . . . I’m always looking for an excuse to travel. (Of course, in my fantasy world it would be in the Fall because no one does it better for fall color than the Northeast!)
Thanks, Sarah Jayne, for offering up the guest room, too! That’s so kind of you!
Yes, Sarah, I’ll be at the conference. I’m attending the board meeting Friday night and the welcome reception after that. I’ll also be in the area where the sessions are held a little bit early on Saturday morning to help set up one of the booths for one of the divisions. It would be great to meet you.
I’m looking forward to meeting David Kaplan as well. He can probably help out much more with the different licensure requirements than I can, but I’d be happy to chat with you! I have heard that Delaware has a license called LPCMH (and Pennsylvania has an LPC), so I don’t know how that changes things when writing your credentials behind your name.
And Tamara, I’d be thrilled to recommend you for a future keynote speaker if that is okay with you! I’ll even try to mention it to somebody this weekend if I hear back from you before I leave. 🙂
Lauren! How kind of you! I would be thrilled to meet you guys in person and would welcome an opportunity to head toward Pennsylvania! Thank you for the consideration!
Lauren, it will be a delight to meet you!
I just did some more research on Delaware and it looks like a straightforward and relatively simple process to apply for license reciprocity. Way off in the distance for me, but if that’s the state you are close to, then it should be easy! (More fees to pay, of course!)
I’ll keep an eye out for your at the conference!
Sarah
Thanks, Sarah Jayne, for sharing what you learned! There’s no point is reinventing the wheel every time. I appreciate your generosity!
Sarah Jayne . . . I just noticed that you don’t have a little picture of you next to your comments. You’re missing an opportunity to help people remember who you are. If you want to have a little picture of you show up in your comments, you can find out how right here. It’s really simple – I promise!
Tamara, thank you for that suggestion. I have followed through. This comment will be the test!
Sarah
Hi, Sarah Jayne! I SEE YOU! It’s such a simple thing to do and can help you get / stay connected to others online! Thanks for putting your face out there!
Thanks, Tamara! Always nice to know about changes with a little bit of lead time.
If you could add this to my last comment…
What mailing lists are you on to find out about these changes? If that’s not how you found out, how did you come across the info? Thanks!
Lauren, I’m not on a mailing list that lets me know. However, I am on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and Facebook as well as most of these online discussion lists. The changes in the CPT Codes have come up in several different discussions.
You’re so welcome!
Hi Tamara- I am so appreciative of the info regarding CPT codes as well as the multitude of VERY RELEVANT practice info that you provide on a regular basis. You do the work for us all and I am grateful! This is the first I am hearing about the CPT code changes. Thank you, Tamara.
Hi, Lisa, and welcome to Private Practice from the Inside Out! You are so welcome! I hope you’ll let your colleagues in South Carolina know about the resources and growing community of therapists here who are committed to growing their private practice!
I look forward to finding your voice here so that we can learn from you and support you as you build your business!
Hi Tamara!
I’ve been trying to study these new CPT codes to make sure I bill correctly, but I have some questions I was hoping you might know the answers to:
(1) If I typically perform 53-55 minute sessions, I should bill 90837, right?
(2) If I bill 90834 for a 50 minute session, does this mean I will be reimbursed at a lower rate (less than my full fee) as compared with billing 90837?
(3) This ones’s a little unrelated. What’s the best and correct way to bill 90 minute sessions (which I would expect to be like a 1.5 unit session)?
Thanks again for all your wonderful wisdom! I hope these aren’t too off-topic here…
-Aaron
Hi, Aaron. This isn’t my area of expertise. Sorry. I do know that the training I referenced does address these issues so if you signed up for the class, you still have access to the Power Point and the recorded versions. Beyond that, I’m a little reluctant to tread there because I’m still trying to figure it all out, too! Wherever you get your answers, I would encourage you to make sure it’s not from some other therapist who is also trying to decipher the details just like you and me! A professional biller will be a likely resource for this info.
For anybody that wants more information about the 2013 CPT code changes, I just got around to watching this video posted by ACA: http://www.counseling.org/Counselors/TP/PrivatePracticePointersMembers/CT2.aspx?ewq=dR7aP4 . Click on the video called 2013 CPT Codes: How They Effect Counselors and Psychologists. It’s about seven minutes long and it’s very clear and concise.
Excellent! Thanks, Lauren for sharing the info!
Also, if you can’t access the ACA video (it’s for members-only), here’s a good free YouTube video explanation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqJeToDB1u0
Thanks, Aaron!