Couples/Marital/Family Counseling

[lrbmfhsec]

My question is about the correct way to bill for couples (unmarried), marital, and family counseling.  Should we bill under one person, under both people or for family, under the parents or child/children if the child has the issues?  We seem to have complaints no matter how we do it.

[Michele]

There is no straight answer to your question.  Each situation (and family) is different.  For example, if you are seeing the child because the child has behavior issues but the behavior issues are due to the child's parents marriage (or the mom and her live in boyfriend, etc) it would be billed under the child with the diagnosis for the child, but you would bill for individual sessions when the child is seen, and family sessions with or without the patient present for when the parents (or whatever) are seen.  However, if you are seeing the wife (or girlfriend) and the problem is strictly relationship issues and you see the husband (or boyfirend) too (with the wife/girlfriend) then it would be billed under the wife/girlfriend with a diagnosis or marriage counseling and either the 90806 or 90847. 

Each situation is different and you will have to decide each one independently.

Michele