90791 Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation
Providers currently bill 90791 for an initial intake appointment. This is when the providers are gathering information from the parents regarding their concerns. Outside of the appointment, the parents complete questionnaires and measures to help the psychologists determine what diagnostic testing may be appropriate.
If testing is warranted, they then bill 96101 for the testing/evaluation and the subsequent time it takes to analyze, write the reports, etc. An authorization for this service is often required and they may request up to 8 hours for it.
96101 Psychological testing (includes psychodiagnostic assessment of emotionality, intellectual abilities, personality and psychopathology, eg, MMPI, Rorschach, WAIS), per hour of the psychologists or physicians time, both face-to-face time administering tests to the patient and time interpreting these test results and preparing the report
Our question is since the 90791 is broad, what would keep them from being able to bill 90791 for the testing and then 96101 for the time it takes to interpret the results and write the report?
Can anyone offer any insight??