CPT code
What a 90846 pays
16 reported rates for CPT 90846 put the median at $83, with a range of $44 to $149. The code covers family psychotherapy without the client present, about 50 minutes. The tables below split the same 16 reports by payer, route, and license.
Reported 90846: median $83, range $44–$149, middle half $64–$96, about 104% of the 2026 national Medicare reference for a master's-level clinician (16 reports · January 2023 to September 2026 · updated 2026-09-23)
What 90846 is
- Session time
- CPT writes the code at about 50 minutes. CMS publishes no time range for 90846 in the article that sets ranges for the individual psychotherapy codes, so the shortest billable session is set by each payer's own policy.
- What it covers
- Family psychotherapy without the patient present.
- Who bills it
- LCSWs, LPCs, LMFTs, psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners, subject to each payer's credentialing and scope rules.
Time rules above are quoted from the CMS billing and coding article A57520. Rate figures on this page are self-reported by therapists and are a separate thing from what a payer is obliged to allow.
90846 by payer
| Payer | Median | Range | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCBS | $77 | $44–$111 | 4 |
| Aetna | $83 | $65–$99 | 3 |
| Optum / UHC | $90 | $76–$104 | 2 |
| Cigna | $75 | $62–$88 | 2 |
90846 by route
| Route | Median | Range | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headway | $79 | $59–$95 | 6 |
| Direct contract | $104 | $91–$149 | 5 |
| Grow Therapy | $62 | $44–$65 | 3 |
| Alma | $82 | $77–$88 | 2 |
90846 by license
| License | Median | Range | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| LPC/LMHC | $77 | $44–$111 | 13 |
| LCSW | $95 | $91–$99 | 2 |
90846 by state
Other codes: 90837 · 90834 · 90791 · 90847.
All 16 reports for 90846
| Route | Payer | St | License | Rate | Effective | Note / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct contract | Optum / UHC | AR | LPC/LMHC | $104.11 | September 2026 | submitted |
| Grow Therapy | Aetna | GA | LPC/LMHC | $65.05 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Grow Therapy | BCBS | GA | LPC/LMHC | $44 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Grow Therapy | Cigna | GA | LPC/LMHC | $61.60 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Alma | Cigna | GA | LPC/LMHC | $88 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Alma | EAP | GA | LPC/LMHC | $76.81 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | BCBS | NY | LPC/LMHC | $95 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | Aetna | GA | LPC/LMHC | $82.99 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | BCBS | GA | LPC/LMHC | $59 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | Carelon | GA | LPC/LMHC | $60.22 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | Independence Blue Cross | GA | LPC/LMHC | $82.30 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | Optum / UHC | GA | LPC/LMHC | $75.99 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Direct contract | BCBS | NJ | LPC/LMHC | $110.54 | July 2024 | submitted |
| Direct contract | Healthfirst | NY | LCSW | $91 | June 2024 | submitted |
| Direct contract | Health Partners | MN | LMFT | $148.87 | January 2024 | submitted |
| Direct contract | Aetna | NY | LCSW | $99.19 | January 2023 | submitted |
Limitations
These figures have three limitations. First, every rate is self-reported and unverified. Second, the sample is self-selected: 14% of all reports come from California. Third, license is missing on 66 of 789 rows. These per-code reports describe this sample; additional reports can change the median and widen the range. How this data is collected and checked.