Billing/Behavioral Health Integration
99493Behavioral Health Integration

CPT 99493: Psychiatric Collaborative Care — Subsequent 60 Minutes.

CPT 99493 covers each subsequent calendar month of Psychiatric Collaborative Care Management (CoCM) following the initial month (which is billed as 99492). The code reimburses 60 or more minutes of behavioral health care manager time per month for ongoing patient engagement, repeated validated screening, treatment adjustment, and continued participation in the weekly psychiatric registry review. Billing 99493 typically continues monthly until the patient achieves remission, transitions out of CoCM, or the BHCM determines the patient no longer benefits from the model.

2026 Reimbursement

$130.00

RVU: 3.89 × $33.4 CF

Time Requirement

60 minutes of behavioral health care manager time per subsequent calendar month

Frequency

Monthly, in each month after the initial 99492 month

Who Can Bill

Physician or qualified healthcare professional (NP, PA, CNS) as the billing provider, with continued BHCM support and psychiatric consultation

Quick Answer

What is CPT 99493?

CPT 99493 is the Medicare billing code for each subsequent calendar month of Psychiatric Collaborative Care Management (CoCM) following the initial 99492 month. It reimburses approximately $130 per month for 60+ minutes of behavioral health care manager time, including continued patient engagement, validated screening reassessment, care plan updates, and participation in the weekly psychiatric registry review. CoCM episodes typically run 6 to 12 months. 99493 cannot be billed in the same month as general BHI (99484) but can be stacked with RPM and CCM.

Documentation

Documentation requirements.

01

Continued patient consent on file from initial 99492 month

02

Updated validated screening scores (PHQ-9, GAD-7) for the month with comparison to baseline and prior months

03

Care plan progress notes — what changed, what's working, what's being adjusted

04

Documentation of continued psychiatric consultant participation (typically weekly registry review)

05

Time log totaling 60+ minutes in the calendar month

06

Care coordination notes with the primary care provider and any other involved providers

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Scenarios

Common billing scenarios.

Month 2 of CoCM for depression with partial response

Billable

A patient billed as 99492 in month 1 (PHQ-9 = 16 at baseline). In month 2, the BHCM spends 65 minutes administering a follow-up PHQ-9 (now 11 — partial response), reviewing the case at psychiatric registry, adjusting the care plan to add behavioral activation goals, and conducting two patient outreach calls. Bill 99493.

Subsequent month plus additional time for complex case

Billable

A patient with major depression and comorbid alcohol use disorder requires 95 minutes of BHCM time in month 4 due to a substance use relapse needing care coordination with an outpatient SUD program. Bill 99493 for the first 60 minutes and 99494 for the additional 35 minutes.

BHCM time fell short of 60 minutes

Not Billable

In month 3 of CoCM, the BHCM only spent 45 minutes on the patient due to a missed appointment and limited outreach. The 60-minute threshold for 99493 is not met. The practice cannot bill 99493 for this month; if the case warrants ongoing CoCM, expect to meet the threshold in following months.

Subsequent month after pause in CoCM

Not Billable

A patient was in CoCM for 4 months, paused for 3 months due to remission, and returned with relapse symptoms. The practice debates whether to bill 99492 (initial) or 99493 (subsequent). Because the prior CoCM episode formally concluded, this re-engagement is a new episode and should bill 99492 for the first month, then 99493 going forward.

FAQ

Common questions about CPT 99493.

01

What is CPT 99493?

CPT 99493 is the Medicare billing code for each subsequent calendar month of Psychiatric Collaborative Care Management (CoCM) after the initial 99492 month. It covers 60 or more minutes of behavioral health care manager time per month for ongoing patient management, screening reassessment, and psychiatric registry review. It reimburses approximately $130 per month under the 2026 Medicare fee schedule.

02

How much does CPT 99493 reimburse in 2026?

CPT 99493 reimburses approximately $130 per patient per subsequent month under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Over a typical 6-month CoCM episode, a patient might generate $163 (99492 initial month) + 5 × $130 (99493 subsequent months) = $813 in CoCM revenue, plus any 99494 add-ons for additional time.

03

What is the difference between 99492 and 99493?

99492 is billed for the initial calendar month of a CoCM episode and requires 70+ minutes of behavioral health care manager time (more, because of intake and care-plan creation overhead). 99493 is billed for each subsequent month and requires 60+ minutes. The activities are similar — patient outreach, screening, care plan updates, psychiatric registry review — but the initial month covers the additional setup work and therefore reimburses more.

04

How long can 99493 be billed for a single patient?

There is no hard CMS limit on the number of consecutive months 99493 can be billed, but CoCM is intended as a time-limited intervention. Most evidence-based CoCM programs run 6 to 12 months per episode, after which the patient either achieves remission, transitions to standalone behavioral health care, or is reassessed. If a patient continues to need monthly intensive behavioral health management indefinitely, the practice should consider whether a higher level of care is appropriate.

05

What if BHCM time falls short of 60 minutes in a subsequent month?

If the 60-minute threshold is not met in a given subsequent month, 99493 cannot be billed for that month. The patient remains in the CoCM episode — the next month can resume billing if the threshold is again met. Practices should document the reason the time was short (missed appointment, holiday week, patient declined outreach) and adjust outreach in subsequent months to maintain compliance.

06

Can 99493 be billed alongside RPM or CCM?

Yes. 99493 can be billed in the same month as RPM (99454/99457) and CCM (99490) for the same patient, provided the time and clinical activities are distinct. CoCM time must specifically focus on behavioral health management. 99493 cannot be billed in the same month as 99484 (general BHI) for the same patient — the two behavioral health pathways are mutually exclusive within a month.

Sources & Compliance

CPT® notice. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. CPT codes, descriptions, and other data only are copyright 2026 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. CPT is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. The plain-language descriptions, billing scenarios, and FAQs on this page are CCN Health’s editorial summary and are not the official AMA long descriptors.

Reimbursement. Reimbursement figures shown are CCN Health estimates based on the CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (CY 2026) using published RVU values and the 2026 conversion factor of $33.40. Final payment varies by locality (GPCI), facility status, and payer contract. Fee schedules, relative value units, and conversion factors are not assigned by the AMA, are not part of CPT, and the AMA is not recommending their use.

Sources. CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, CY 2026 (cms.gov); AMA CPT 2026 Code Set (ama-assn.org).

Disclaimer. This page is informational and does not constitute billing, clinical, or legal advice. Verify all codes, modifiers, and reimbursement amounts against your contracted payer agreements and the official CMS publications before billing.

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