Billing Reference
CPT code 90834: the 45-minute therapy session
CPT code 90834 covers 38 to 52 minutes of individual psychotherapy, which is why the classic 45-minute session bills under it. It is the standard individual psychotherapy code. The code follows the documented time, not the scheduled slot: 53 minutes or more becomes 90837, and 16 to 37 minutes drops to 90832. Below is the full time rule, the documentation the note has to carry, and the boundaries with 90832, 90836, and 90837, with the CMS source behind every rule.
Part of CPT Codes for Therapists, the plain-English lookup verified against public CMS billing guidance.
What CPT code 90834 covers
Individual psychotherapy, 38 to 52 minutes. The standard individual psychotherapy session.
90834 is the standard individual psychotherapy session, the code the classic 45-minute appointment bills under. Of the three time-banded individual codes it is the one most therapy schedules are built around, sitting between 90832 below it and 90837 above it.
The band runs from 38 to 52 minutes of documented psychotherapy. That width matters: a 40-minute session, a 45-minute session, and a 50-minute session all bill the same code. What moves you off 90834 is documented time crossing a boundary, not what the calendar said the appointment was.
The Rules
Time rule and documentation for 90834
Paraphrased from public CMS billing guidance, with the source documents linked below the notes.
- CMS time rule: 38 to 52 minutes of psychotherapy.
- Document start and stop times or the total time spent.
- Time is counted face to face with the patient, and the patient is present for all or some of the service.
- Beyond the clock, the record shows the therapeutic techniques used and a periodic summary of goals, progress, and the updated treatment plan.
The Boundaries
90834 next to its neighboring codes
90834 vs 90837: the 53-minute line
Document 38 to 52 minutes of psychotherapy and the session is 90834. Document 53 minutes or more and it is 90837. Nothing else about the service changes, only the documented time. If your sessions regularly run near the boundary, record start and stop times so the note settles the question for you. The full 90834 vs 90837 comparison linked below breaks the choice down further.
90834 vs 90832: the 38-minute floor
Below 38 minutes the session drops to 90832, which covers 16 to 37 minutes of psychotherapy. Below 16 minutes there is no individual psychotherapy code to bill at all, so a session cut very short is not billable as psychotherapy.
90834 vs 90836: standalone vs add-on
90836 covers the same 38 to 52 minute band, but as an add-on billed alongside an evaluation and management (medical) service in the same visit. A standalone therapy session bills 90834.
Common Questions
Questions therapists ask about 90834
How many minutes do you need to bill CPT code 90834?
Between 38 and 52 minutes of documented psychotherapy. At 53 minutes or more the session becomes 90837, and at 16 to 37 minutes it drops to 90832. Document start and stop times or the total time for every session.
Is 90834 the 45-minute or the 50-minute code?
Both. The band covers 38 to 52 minutes of psychotherapy, so a 45-minute session and a 50-minute therapeutic hour bill the same code. Only documented time of 53 minutes or more moves the session up to 90837.
What is the difference between 90834 and 90837?
Session time. 90834 covers 38 to 52 minutes of psychotherapy and 90837 covers 53 minutes or more. The code follows the documented psychotherapy time, not the scheduled slot, so record start and stop times or total time for every session.
What is the difference between 90834 and 90836?
Whether a medical visit happens in the same session. 90836 covers the same 38 to 52 minute band as an add-on to an evaluation and management (medical) service. A standalone psychotherapy session bills 90834.
Why are there no reimbursement rates on this page?
Reimbursement varies by payer, locality, and year, so a single national number would be wrong for most readers. Check your payer contracts for your actual rates, or the CMS Physician Fee Schedule lookup tool for Medicare amounts in your locality.
Keep Going
Related codes and tools
The code is the easy part. The note has to hold up too.
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This is an informational tool, not billing, legal, or clinical advice. You are responsible for selecting the correct codes for your services and for verifying coverage, code definitions, and documentation requirements against your payer contracts and the current code set.
CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. This page does not reproduce the CPT code set or its official descriptors. Every description here is a plain-English summary written by Reframe Practice and checked against the CMS public billing documents linked above.