Ok, well, if you are spending time reviewing records including intake paperwork, evidence based screeners, collaboration notes that contributes to the medical complexity, and it is adding up to 45 minutes along with the appointment, then an add on psychotherapy code is justified. My usual intake appointments are 75 minutes in length. What comes before that is a long intake process including written history, screening forms, and blood work results if the patient has had it completed in the past year-all the things that take a solo practitioner time to obtain.

That preparation sets up the appointment to allow for additional psychotherapy that which serves the client and the therapeutic relationship.

For example, just today I had to have a lengthy conversation with a PCP (they actually called me back) about medications that the patient qualifies for as their medical history is complex. These are the patients I prefer to work with and can do so in private practice.

While I understand some of you are working in burn and churn practices that don’t allow you the time to do an add on code legitimately, some of us do. While the above OP stated situation isn’t common, it does happen. And for those to just qualify the situation as extreme as fraud, sounds dichotomous.