Due to the intuitive nature of EMDR, many clinicians keep their own paper notes. These notes are separate from the ones that get uploaded into our electronic record systems and can contain more specific details of what you’re noticing and seeing during the EMDR sessions. This is a great place to note what you're seeing live during session; affect, body movements, lack of eye contact, etc. As EMDR clinicians we make observations of what is coming up in session. We make mental notes and take physical notes of these observations so we can come back and make sense of them through the Adaptive Information Processing model. Remember, anything that comes up in session may be useful information, a part of our job is to look for patterns.
Now let’s circle back to billing through insurance. Here’s a quick breakdown of the most common CPT codes and what we use them for. Now remember these may be different state to state but these are always a good place to start.
90837- 60 minute session
90785- Complexity add on (this code is billed with the 90837 to show specialized training was needed to perform what was done in that session, i.e. EMDR).
99354 - 30-74 minutes following 90837 (can be billed same session as 90837 for sessions that are extended)
With an EMDR framework that is standardized, note taking documentation and billing can actually be straightforward and doesn’t have to be daunting. Follow these tips as a step-by-step how to and work with your insurance carriers to figure out what codes may be best for you and your practice.
Let’s not forget that EMDR takes time and commitment and that specialized training should show up in our billing and documentation.
