CPT codes billed by outpatient therapy providers are either time-based or un-timed (service-based). A question I am often asked is if there is a minimum amount of time I must spend providing an un-timed service. Typically, my answer is “no, but time does play a factor in the reimbursement amount”. What do I mean by that answer? In this article, I will answer the following questions:

Physical therapists (PTs), physical therapist assistants (PTAs), occupational therapists (OTs), occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have CPT codes which describe the interventions they provide that are time-based and service-based (untimed). A question I often receive is how much time must I spend providing an intervention that is service-based (untimed) in order to be able to bill for that CPT code to any insurance carrier, including the Medicare program? In this article, I will answer this question. QuestionHow much time must I spend providing an intervention that is service-based (untimed) in order to be able to bill for