CAQH Update for Mental Health Providers: What You Need to Know: Mental health providers should be aware of an important change involving CAQH, the system many psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, and other behavioral...

Time Management: Utilize a scheduling system to avoid overbooking and to reduce no-shows. Specialization: In addition to generic counseling consider focusing on a specific niche within mental health (e.g., anxiety, trauma, couples counse...

The following common submissions are the most likely to trigger a review or audit: The “90837” Overuse Flag: CPT 90837 (60-minute psychotherapy) is the highest-reimbursing standard therapy code and remains the #1 audit target...

*Always check with your tax advisor when reviewing tax filing information* Filing for the 2025 tax year (filing in early 2026) involves several specific updates due to the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” (OBBBA) legislation signed ...

Here are the key points of the clarification concerning telemental health care claims in Medicare: 1. In-Person Visit Requirements for Telemental Health The most significant clarification revolves around the statutory requirement for an ...

Preparing for an audit is a critical and ongoing process for mental health practices to ensure compliance, protect revenue and maintain a high standard of care. Audits, whether internal or external, can be initiated by state and federal ...

Web: mentalhealthbillers.com Ph732-251-4800 Building Our Reputation One Client at a Time A successful sliding scale program requires clear policies, careful financial planning and a commitment to balancing accessibility with the sustaina...

Expanding a solo mental health practice to include other providers involves a significant shift in legal and operational considerations. Here’s a breakdown of the key areas you’ll need to address: > What kind of group practic...

Building a website for your Mental Health practice is a crucial step in establishing your online presence and reaching potential clients. Planning & Strategy: What do you want to achieve with your website? Attract new clients, provi...

Several significant changes are happening in Mental Telehealth in 2025, largely driven by the expiration of some temporary flexibility put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a breakdown: *In-Person Requirement: One of th...

An incidental use or disclosure is a secondary use or disclosure that cannot reasonably be prevented, is limited in nature and occurs as a result of another use or disclosure that is permitted by the Rule. What exactly is an Incidental D...

* By all means, marry. If you get a good partner, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher. Source: Socrates *The forensic psychologist was irritable because judges and juries tried his patients. *Dr. Je...

Collecting payments from patients in a timely manner is crucial for several reasons: *Cash Flow Management: Timely payments ensure a steady cash flow which is vital for covering operational expenses such as staff salaries, rent and suppl...

Mental health professionals should be vigilant about cybersecurity threats, including hacking attempts aimed at obtaining patient information. Therapists can take several steps to safeguard patient information such as using secure commun...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Practices Web: mentalhealthbillers.com 732-251-4800 Building Our Reputation One Client at a Time Mental Health professionals need to maintain original copie...

A mental health professional is speaking with a new acquaintance and is asked, “What business are you in?” The therapist responds, “I’m not in business. I am a mental health professional.” The reality is that your practice is y...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Practices Web: mentalhealthbillers.com 732-251-4800 An abundance of references available. Establishing clear rules and guidelines for new patients is import...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Practices Web: mentalhealthbillers.com 732-251-4800 An abundance of references available. Getting more therapy clients in private practice often involves a ...

MENTAL HEALTH CPT CODE REMINDER CPT Code 90785 is utilized to describe interactive complexity during therapy sessions with patients. This code is used to indicate a patient’s condition requires additional time and expertise from the me...

Associated Billing Center, LLC serves Mental Health Providers nationwide for more than a decade. We will never be labeled as one of those impersonal “behemoth” corporate type billing companies stripping away your ability to manage yo...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Practices Web: mentalhealthbillers.com 732-251-4800 Managing accounts receivables is crucial for the financial health of any business, including a mental he...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Practices Web: mentalhealthbillers.com 732-251-4800 Let’s look at the reality: The USA has 302.35 million social media users as of 2023. That means 90% of...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Practices Web: mentalhealthbillers.com 732-251-4800 With the Covid-19 pandemic winding down, we frequently get calls from providers inquiring how to determi...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers Web: mentalhealthbillers.com 732-251-4800 Revenue Leakage refers to the loss of revenue from your practice which can be corrected by detecting the...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers Web: mentalhealthbillers.com 732-251-4800 Keep This Number in Mind: The number 89 should be important to you in relation to your practice’s onli...

The Mental Health billing sector has become extremely competitive since the onset of the pandemic. There are newly created impersonal corporate type organizations interested strictly in volume. Many of these “behemoths” are stripping...

>Assess your marketing needs. Are you utilizing social media to its fullest extent? Are you appearing in your professional organization list servers? What about an independent website? This can be accomplished without making an enormous ...

There are many factors that contribute to your practice Patient Retention Rate (PRR). Your office PRR is a principal factor in determining your revenue. When patients leave therapy prematurely in above average numbers, mental health prac...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers Web: mentalhealthbillers.com Payment Parity & Mental Telehealth During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states implemented temporary payment parit...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers Web: mentalhealthbillers.com If you are an in-network provider, review your contract to look for any clauses that pertain to a request for a rate ...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers Web: mentalhealthbillers.com If you are considering bringing on other practitioners and pursing the idea of moving from a solo to a group practice...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers Web: mentalhealthbillers.com Did you ever think about producing your own Newsletter? It can be quarterly or bimonthly and provides your practice w...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers mentalhealthbillers.com Meeting a Deductible-Clearing up the Confusion When a family deductible is satisfied, it is not necessary for your patient...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers mentalhealthbillers.com >Many commercial insurance companies outsource their mental health coverage to third party insurers. That is why it is imp...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers mentalhealthbillers.com In last month’s Newsletter, we wrote about the importance of furnishing your office to accommodate your patient’s comf...

Practice Cancellation Policy Mental health practices should have a cancellation policy that is part of your office’s intake packet and discussed at the first appointment. Studies have shown that practices without a clear policy suffer ...

Mona Ruback CEO/Associated Billing Center, LLC-Your Mental Health Billing Specialist. Web: mentalhealthbillers.com HOW TO GET AHEAD IN LIFE ◊ I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are someone else’s fault....

I frequently have conversations with new clients about what I consider to be some of the key components in managing a successful mental health practice. In formulating my response, I reflect on my experience managing individual and group...

Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Practices mona@assocbillingctr.com Patient Benefits Whether you confirm your patient’s mental health benefits on your own or utilize our Associated Billing Center Patient...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers mentalhealthbillers.com Refresher: Marketing Your Practice There are many ways to market your practice that do not require a significant financial...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers mentalhealthbillers.com Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announces a 90-day extension of the Public Health Emergency that was du...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers mentalhealthbillers.com Suggested Strategies for Practices Wishing to Grow Assess your marketing needs. Yes, risking redundancy we will state it a...

Mona Ruback/CSS Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Providers mentalhealthbillers.com Missed Sessions Can Be Costly One of the most challenging aspects in managing your practice is formulating a policy for mi...

Source: mentalhealthbillers.com Newsletter, December 2021 Dept of Health & Human Services Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Practices Currently, the COVID federal public health emergency (PHE) is still...

Telehealth Patient Utilization The Department of Health and Human Services reports that 84 percent of telehealth patients received their services from providers with whom they had an established relationship. At the same time, a wholesom...

Mental Health Telehealth Trends Source: Associated Billing Center Newsletter, October, 2021 mentalhealthbillers.com When Covid-19 became interwoven into the fabric of our everyday existence, it was accompanied by the exponential growth o...

Mona Ruback/Owner Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Professionals Web: mentalhealthbillers.com October 14, 2021 I frequently have conversations with new clients about what I consider to be some of the key c...

Mental Health America (MHA) presents these Fast Facts: ◊Research shows it can take 50 hours for someone you don’t know that well to turn into a true friend. [1] ◊During the week, Americans watch an average of 2.5 hours of TV pe...

Benefit verifications are done as expeditiously as possible. Wait times at insurance companies have grown exponentially. We do not obtain benefits from online sources. When checking benefits, our team asks specific questions related to c...

Individuals seeking mental health therapy are much like consumers of tangible products. When a prospective client calls, think about the questions they ask. How much do you charge for therapy, what is your availability, do you accept my ...

There are many actions to consider when attempting to streamline your practice and maintain its operating level at peak performance. The following are suggestions that may not be applicable to every office: *Give patients the opportunity...

What will the “new normal” look like for mental health professionals post the COVID-19 pandemic? The consensus is that therapy will take place through the hybrid venues of teletherapy and in office counseling. Thinking about refurbis...

While most mental health professionals have received great clinical training very few were offered courses in the “Business of your Business”. Yes, managing a successful practice does require the use and knowledge of fundamental busi...

The National Association of Social Workers recently reported on the U.S. Department of Defense, as part of an initiative to promote licensure portability for military spouses, has awarded a $500,000 grant for the development of an inters...

Associated Billing Center, LLC Exclusively Serving Mental Health Practices Mona Ruback, CSS CEO/Associated Billing Center, LLC * T e l e h e a l t h U p d a t e * New Legislation Proposed for Telehealth The Protecting Access to Post-Covi...

THERAPY ADVICE Patient to Therapist: I keep thinking I’m a bell. Therapist to Patient: Well, just go home and if the feeling persists, give me a ring. Patient to Therapist: No one believes a word I say. Therapist to Patient: Tell me th...

There are many factors that contribute to a mental health practice’s Patient Retention Rate (PRR). Retention refers to the number of patients who return for treatment. > The patient does not feel comfortable with their therapist. Resea...

Congress is beginning to focus on telehealth post-Covid19 with a sense of urgency. Recently, a hearing entitled, Telehealth: Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic, examined which changes in regulations should be maintained, modified or reve...

President-Elect Joe Biden is expected to unwind many of the Trump administration’s healthcare regulations concerning the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. These changes are expected to make mental health care more readily available. Bi...

The National Association of Social Workers–NJ offers the following suggestions if you are seeing patients in your office. 1. Have a dialogue with your clients about not coming to an in-person session if they are feeling unwell or if th...

A Message From Mona Ruback, CSS CEO/Associated Billing Center, LLC-Your Mental Health Billing Specialist Web:  mentalhealthbillers.com Yes, you can help to nourish your patient’s mental hygiene while also concentrating on your practic...

I frequently have conversations with new clients about what I consider to be some of the key components in managing a successful mental health practice. In formulating my response, I reflect on my experience managing individual and group...

The First Lady of the United States says that she is no exception to the rule. Michelle Obama says she too is experiencing what more than one in three Americans reported in a recent pulse survey by the Census Bureau-they are feeling symp...

A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll reports that four in ten adults say that stress related to covid-19 is having a negative impact on their mental health. The Well Being Trust reports that the pandemic could cause 75,000 deaths of de...

The Census Bureau recently released data from an emergency weekly survey conducted to measure the pandemic’s effects on employment, housing, finances, education and health. The Washington Post reports that New York, which had the worst...

One of five adults in America experiences a mental illness. Nearly one in twenty five adults in America lives with a serious mental illness (SMI). With the coronavirus permeating across this nation those numbers are growing. Nearly half ...

May is Mental Health Month and every year the goal is to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. Mental Health Month has been observed since...

Most of us have experienced this phenomenon. You put a protective mask on when going in public and then it begins. You look for the defroster button you would use on your windshield to clear the fog-but it is not there. Why do your glass...

Q. If a patient cancels an appointment outside of the permissible window can I bill insurance for the missed session? A. No. While payers will not reimburse for no-shows, the provider can charge either a negotiated amount (in network) an...

A new study claims that labeling food with the amount of exercise needed to burn off its calorie content could cut about 200 calories from a person’s average daily intake. The study from Loughborough University found that people ate 65...

The most popular dream jobs kids want when they grow up according to a survey conducted by OnePoll: for male respondents becoming an athlete led the way while girls want to become teachers. Both sexes expressed high interest in becoming ...

In the UK and elsewhere the number of digital conversations has overtaken the intimacy of two people actually speaking face to face or on the phone. Texts and emails have affected relationships in many ways. LifeSearch reports that the n...

Science Alert reports that loudly yelling at your dog can produce a long term negative effect. Research indicates that pups criticized repetitively including leash jerking were found to be more stressed with increased levels of cortisol ...

Mental Health Providers Need to Know The new Medicare ID system went into effect on New Years Day. A beneficiary’s social security number will no longer be accepted by Medicare. Avoid delays in processing Medicare claims. The annual de...

January is known as “divorce month” in legal circles. It is the time of year when couples contemplating divorce decide that post holidays would be the best time to do it. Social media confirms the activity. According to Google Trends...

BUMPER STICKERS › I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. › Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don’t have film. › When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty. › Seen it all, done it all, can’t remembe...

The National Alliance on Mental Illness in coordination with prominent mental health and addiction organizations recently launched Mental Health for US, a nonpartisan educational coalition aimed at elevating mental health issues on the 2...