Part of Behavioral Health Integration
CPT 99492: Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model, initial month
First calendar month of the Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model, requiring 70 minutes of behavioral health care manager time.
Time threshold & code combinations
First 70 minutes of behavioral health care manager time in the first calendar month.
- 99494 is the add-on for each additional 30 minutes beyond the 70-minute threshold in the same month
- Not billed in the same month as 99484 for the same patient
Who can bill
- Physicians and non-physician practitioners directing the behavioral health care manager
Eligibility & billing requirements
- New or newly enrolled CoCM patient with a behavioral health condition
- A behavioral health care manager and psychiatric consultant are engaged for the case
- Documented consent to CoCM
- Initial assessment, including administration of a validated rating scale
- Development of an initial care plan with the treating practitioner
- Entering the patient in a registry that flags the need for follow-up
- Participation of the psychiatric consultant in the initial systematic caseload review
When to use it
New CoCM enrollment
A patient newly diagnosed with major depressive disorder is enrolled in the collaborative care program; the behavioral health care manager completes the initial assessment, rating scale, and care plan, with psychiatric consultant input.
Billing: 99492
Documentation checklist
- Time log showing 70 minutes of behavioral health care manager time
- Initial validated rating scale results
- Evidence of psychiatric consultant involvement in the initial review
Common billing mistakes
- Billing 99492 in a month after the first month of enrollment (should be 99493 instead)
- No documented psychiatric consultant caseload review