Psychological and neuropsychological testing practices
Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Billing
Medtransic bills psychological and neuropsychological testing for psychologists, neuropsychologists and the psychiatric and nurse practitioner practices that test. We check each plan's authorization rules and get approval before testing starts, track the approved units, and bill evaluation, professional administration and technician time as the separate parts payers expect. We work inside SimplePractice, TherapyNotes or the system you already use. Billing is 4-8% of what we collect for you. There is no long-term contract.
- Billing
- 4-8%
- of what we collect for you
- Credentialing
- $150
- per application, per provider
- Software
- SimplePractice
- or the system you already use
- Contract
- None
- no long-term contract
One evaluation, from referral to report
IllustrativeAuthorization and approved units
Professional and technician testing time
Evaluation, report and feedback
Why testing claims come back short
Most lost testing revenue is time recorded in the wrong place, or testing the plan never agreed to pay for.
Technician hours billed as the psychologist's
Medicare pays technician and professional administration and scoring separately. If the claim does not show who sat with the patient, the evaluation is underpaid or wrong.
Time reported one visit at a time
When the clinician does the testing, CMS has total time reported once the whole evaluation is complete. Reporting visit by visit invites corrections.
A school-age ADHD evaluation denied as educational
Aetna does not cover educational testing, and Evernorth does not cover testing mainly for academic performance. The referral should state the clinical question, not only the school concern.
The claim went to the wrong benefit
Aetna puts testing for a mental health diagnosis under the mental health benefit, and for a medical diagnosis, such as dementia, under the medical benefit. Sent to the wrong side, the claim is denied.
Long batteries with no reason for each test
WPS, a Medicare contractor, may ask for medical necessity when testing runs past eight hours. It does not accept standard batteries unless each test is medically necessary.
Who handles what in a testing practice
Medtransic runs
- Benefit checks: does testing fall under the medical or mental health benefit
- Authorization before testing starts, for the hours your clinical questions need
- Unit tracking, so we ask for more before testing goes over
- Claims that separate evaluation, professional administration, technician time and computer tests
- Payment posting, denials, appeals and follow-up on unpaid claims
- Credentialing for every psychologist and nurse practitioner who bills
Your practice keeps
- Test selection, interpretation and the written report
- Training and supervising your technicians
- Documenting who administered each test and for how long
- Your EHR, referral sources and fees for testing outside insurance
How Medicare pays a testing evaluation, part by part
Medicare pays each part of the work separately, and Evernorth's policy lists the same parts.
- 01
Evaluation services
- Billed as
- First hour plus each added hour
- Note
- Interpretation, decision making, the report and feedback. Psychological and neuropsychological have separate codes.
- 02
Professional administration and scoring
- Billed as
- First 30 minutes plus each added 30
- Note
- When a psychologist or other qualified professional gives two or more tests.
- 03
Technician administration and scoring
- Billed as
- First 30 minutes plus each added 30
- Note
- Face-to-face technician hours, under separate codes. Medicare rates differ by setting.
- 04
Computer-administered tests
- Billed as
- Once, however long it takes
- Note
- Medicare rate depends on the setting.
- 05
Neurobehavioral status exam
- Billed as
- First hour plus each added hour
- Note
- A separate service from the testing itself.
Who can bill Medicare for testing, and getting them enrolled
We confirm where each clinician fits Medicare's list before we file.
Clinical psychologists, NPs, CNSs and PAs
All four can bill for testing and must accept assignment; NPs, CNSs and PAs only as far as state scope of practice allows.
Independently practicing psychologists
A non-clinical psychologist practicing independently is covered only on a physician's order, with that physician's name and address on the claim.
Psychologists on a clinic's staff
When the testing psychologist is on an institution, agency or clinic staff, that organization bills for the tests.
Physical, occupational and speech therapists
Medicare lets PTs, OTs and SLPs bill only three specific test codes, so we check before their testing goes on a claim.
Commercial payers, one application each
We file each clinician's application with each plan and follow it to an effective date, with its stage in your client portal.
Supervision rules and payer limits on testing
Supervision rules and coverage limits differ by payer, so we check each plan before testing starts.
| Payer | Rule | Also note |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare | Technicians may test under general supervision. The supervisor directs the work but need not be present. | Physicians, clinical psychologists, NPs, CNSs, PAs, CRNAs and nurse-midwives can supervise, within scope and state law. |
| WPS | In Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Indiana and Michigan, technicians giving neuropsychological tests still need direct supervision (checked October 4, 2026). | No pay for educational or vocational testing, testing with no suspected brain function problem, or repeat testing not needed for medical decisions. |
| Aetna | Does not cover educational, employment, disability or legal testing. Rarely necessary for uncomplicated ADHD; possibly when complicated by head trauma or seizures. | Lists autism testing with parent interviews and observation. Not necessary during active substance use, withdrawal or early recovery. Hours must fit the clinical questions. |
| Evernorth (Cigna) | Policy effective September 15, 2026: neuropsychological testing must inform clinical decisions, with reasonable suspicion of a listed condition such as autism, dementia or brain injury. | Testing mainly for education, academic performance, baseline function or screening is not covered. |
Your client portal, included
Your EHR shows what you billed. Your portal shows what we are doing about it.
Your EHR or practice management system runs your practice, but it does not show you our work. The Medtransic HIPAA Compliant Portal does: every claim and its current stage, the denials we are working, your A/R by age, each payer application and its in-network date, and the documents we still need from you. It is the same record our team works from, and it comes with every client account.
- Did that claim get paid?
- Every claim with its stage and amount, the denials we're working, and your receivables by age.
- Where is my application with Aetna?
- Each payer application shows its stage, its history, and the date you can start seeing that payer's patients.
- What do you still need from me?
- One list of the documents we're waiting on. Upload once, and it reaches every payer that asked for it.
When a testing practice may not need us
- Forensic, pre-employment or school-funded testing sits outside health insurance. Aetna, for one, does not cover legal, employment or disability testing.
- If you only want help choosing tests or writing reports, that is clinical work and stays with you. We handle the authorizations, claims and payments around it.
Questions testing practices ask us
Can a technician give the tests?
Yes. Medicare's regulation allows testing under the general supervision of a psychologist, physician or other qualified practitioner, and technician time has its own billing codes. WPS's local policy still requires direct supervision of technicians, so check your Medicare contractor first.
Will insurance pay for ADHD testing?
It depends on the plan and the reason. Aetna says testing is rarely medically necessary for uncomplicated ADHD but may be when there are neurological complications. Neither Aetna nor Evernorth covers testing done mainly for school purposes.
Is autism testing covered?
Both Aetna and Evernorth list autism among the reasons testing can be medically necessary. Evernorth also notes that a number of states require regulated plans to cover services for autism spectrum disorder.
Is court-ordered or disability testing covered?
Aetna does not cover testing for employment, disability qualification or legal purposes, because it is not treatment of disease. Plan to bill that work outside insurance.
Do you get testing authorized before we start?
Yes. We check each plan's rules, request the hours your clinical questions need and track the approved units. If testing needs more time, we ask before you go over.
What does Medtransic charge a testing practice?
Billing is 4-8% of collections, with no long-term contract. Credentialing is $150 per application, per provider. The consultation before you sign is free.
Keep reading
- Psychology billing and therapy claims →
- Prior authorization →
- Psychiatry billing →
- ABA therapy billing →
- Credentialing for therapists and behavioral health →
- Child and adolescent mental health billing →
- Psychologist credentialing →
- Behavioral health groups and clinics →
- Pricing →
+ − Sources: 6 checked 2026-10-04
- 42 CFR 410.32, diagnostic tests (general supervision of psychological and neuropsychological testing), checked 2026-10-04
- CMS, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, chapter 15, sections 80.2 and 160 (issued July 30, 2026), checked 2026-10-04
- CMS, Diagnostic psychological and neuropsychological tests FAQ (technician, computer and time reporting), checked 2026-10-04
- WPS, LCD L34646, Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing (revision effective October 31, 2024), checked 2026-10-04
- Aetna, Clinical Policy Bulletin 0158, Neuropsychological and Psychological Testing, checked 2026-10-04
- Evernorth (Cigna), Coverage Policy EN0258, Neuropsychological Testing (effective September 15, 2026), checked 2026-10-04
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