Psychological Testing Billing Codes: 96130, 96131, 96136, 96137, 96138 and 96139 Explained

Psychological testing is billed in two parts: the evaluation work (96130 for the first hour and 96131 for each additional hour, or 96132/96133 for neuropsychological evaluation), and the test administration and scoring (96136/96137 when the psychologist does it, per 30 minutes, or 96138/96139 when a technician does it). A typical testing case uses codes from both parts. Most payers require prior authorization for testing, often with a cap on hours.

Testing claims are higher in value than most outpatient mental health claims, and they are denied for different reasons: missing authorization, hours beyond what was approved, and time units that do not add up.

The codes

Code	What it covers	Unit
96130	Psychological testing evaluation services by a physician or qualified health professional	First hour
96131	Same, each additional hour	Each additional hour
96132	Neuropsychological testing evaluation services	First hour
96133	Same, each additional hour	Each additional hour
96136	Test administration and scoring by a physician or qualified health professional, two or more tests	First 30 minutes
96137	Same, each additional 30 minutes	Each additional 30 minutes
96138	Test administration and scoring by a technician, two or more tests	First 30 minutes
96139	Same, each additional 30 minutes	Each additional 30 minutes
96146	Single automated test via an electronic platform, with automated result	Per test

Evaluation services include integrating patient data, interpreting results, clinical decision making, treatment planning, writing the report, and interactive feedback to the patient or family.

Administration and scoring is the time spent giving and scoring the tests.

Time rules

These codes follow CPT’s general time rule: a unit is billed when more than half of it has passed. In practice, that means at least 31 minutes for a first hour, and at least 16 minutes for a first 30-minute unit. Record the time for each part separately: administration time, scoring time and evaluation time.

An example

A psychologist gives a battery of tests over 3 hours (administration and scoring), then spends 3 hours on interpretation, the report and a feedback session:

• 96136 × 1 (first 30 minutes of administration) + 96137 × 5 (remaining 2.5 hours)
• 96130 × 1 (first hour of evaluation) + 96131 × 2 (two more hours)

If a technician gave the tests instead, 96138/96139 replace 96136/96137.

Related codes that are billed separately

• 90791: the diagnostic interview before testing, when done as a separate evaluation (see 90791 vs 90792)
• 96116 / 96121: neurobehavioral status exam
• 96127: brief emotional or behavioral screening questionnaire, per instrument

Why testing claims are denied

Denial	Cause	Fix
Authorization missing	Testing started before approval	Request authorization first; ask about retro authorization only as a last resort
Units over the authorized hours	Billed hours exceeded what the payer approved	Track approved hours; request more before exceeding them
Time not supported	Note does not show time for each part	Record administration, scoring and evaluation time separately
Medical necessity	Referral question or purpose of testing unclear	State the clinical question and how results will change treatment
Date of service questions	Testing spread across several days	Follow the payer’s policy on which date(s) to report

Who can bill

Psychologists bill the evaluation and administration codes. Technician codes (96138/96139) are billed by the supervising professional, following the payer’s supervision rules. Payers vary on whether other licensed clinicians can bill testing, so check before offering it.

Our psychologist billing team handles testing authorizations, hour tracking and claims. Codes and payer rules change; we check current CPT guidance and each payer’s policy before submission.

Frequently asked questions