PTAN is an acronym for Provider Transaction Access Number, but really it’s a unique identifier you get when you become credentialed with Medicare Part B as a mental health therapist. Your Medicare contract will have your PTAN written within the first few pages. You need to write it down, take a photo of it with […]
Mental Health Billing
Talk To You Soon!
Excited to connect with you!
Mental Health CMS1500 Form [Download JPG + PDF]
Here’s a copy of the PDF form for your download: Download! Here’s your blank CMS1500 form for download!
Where Do I File Out of State Blue Cross Blue Shield Claims?
Updated Article –> Learn more here People complain about Medicare billing but really they should be complaining about Blue Cross Blue S1hield! It’s an absolute sh!t-show (pardon my ‘French’). Blue Card plans are notoriously complicated nationally, and create a huge headache for our providers. Here’s the gist: Where Do I File If They Aren’t In […]
Should I Become an In-Network Mental Health Provider? Pros and Cons
Many mental health providers contact us asking for advice about credentialing. Is it worth it? Will I get paid less? Will I see more patients? Does in-network and out-of-network billing change? This article will attempt to answer the reasons for and against getting credentialed with insurance panels. If you have other questions, feel free to […]
How Do I Know My Contracted Rate as a Mental Health Therapist?
Many of our providers will ask us what their contracted rate is for each insurance company that they’re in network with, or working with out of network. This is an important but unfortunately disappointing fact to reveal: we cannot know the exact amount of a reimbursement until that reimbursement has been made, checks have been […]
Am I In-Network? Sorting Out Your Tax ID and NPI Information
Having a hard time sorting out the information on file with insurance companies you’re in-network with? Getting rejected claims stating you’re out of network when you know you’re in network? This guide will help you understand one reason why: your NPI and Tax ID information is mismatched and registered incorrectly. (There are many reasons for […]
Understanding EOBs: Allowed Amount vs Adjusted Amount vs Insurance Reimbursement vs Patient Responsibility
Let’s try to explain this as fast as possible! Let’s say you bill your full billed fee of $150 to an insurance company. They adjust your fee down by $50, which is the adjusted amount. You are not allowed to collect this amount from anyone, so do not charge this extra to the patient. That […]
Place of Service Codes for Mental Health Billing [2026 Cheat Sheet]
If you are billing in office, use place of service code 11. If you bill in a patient’s home, use place of service 12. If you’re billing in their home for telehealth, use POS 10. For any other, less common places of service, use these codes below: Place of Service Code(s) Place of Service Name […]
Can I Bill as an Out Of Network Provider for Medicare Part B?
The short answer is definitely not. The long answer is that it’s a huge pain in the butt; authorization is required on a case by case basis, and the billing is a nightmare. So the long and the short of it is that if you don’t have a physical Medicare contract, and you haven’t been […]
