Psychiatry & psychotherapy

90839 - RVUs & Medicare payment (2026)

Psychotherapy for crisis, first 60 minutes.

Component	Non-facility	Facility
Work RVU	3.58	3.58
Practice expense RVU	1.19	0.27
Malpractice RVU	0.03	0.03
Total RVUs	4.80	3.88
National payment (CF $33.4009)	$160.32	$129.60
Qualifying APM payment (CF $33.5675)	$161.12	$130.24

How 90839 payment varies by locality

Medicare adjusts payment with geographic practice cost indices, so the same code pays differently across the 109 fee schedule localities. In 2026, non-facility payment for 90839 ranges from $154.23 in Arkansas (AR) to $222.25 in Alaska (AK); calculate 90839 for your locality.

Alaska (AK) $222.25 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $190.58 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $190.44 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $187.44 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $187.40 Napa (CA) $180.00 Vallejo (CA) $179.96 NYC Suburbs/Long Island (NY) $176.35 National average $160.32 … 97 more localities between … Alabama (AL) $154.92 Rest Of Missouri (MO) $154.81 Mississippi (MS) $154.54 Arkansas (AR) $154.23

Non-facility payment for 90839 in the 2026 fee schedule ($33.4009 conversion factor), before sequestration. Gray bar = national average.

Global period: XXX

No global period: the global surgery concept does not apply to this code.

Related codes - psychiatry & psychotherapy

90791 · psychiatric diagnostic evaluation, no medical services
90792 · psychiatric diagnostic evaluation with medical services
90832 · psychotherapy, 30 minutes
90833 · psychotherapy 30 minutes, add-on to an e/m visit
90834 · psychotherapy, 45 minutes
90836 · psychotherapy 45 minutes, add-on to an e/m visit
90837 · psychotherapy, 60 minutes
90838 · psychotherapy 60 minutes, add-on to an e/m visit
90846 · family psychotherapy without the patient present, 50 minutes
90847 · family psychotherapy with the patient present, 50 minutes
90853 · group psychotherapy
96130 · psychological test evaluation, first hour
96131 · psychological test evaluation, each additional hour
96136 · psychological/neuropsychological test administration, first 30 minutes
96156 · health behavior assessment or re-assessment
96158 · health behavior intervention, individual, first 30 minutes

Frequently asked questions

How much does Medicare pay for 90839 in 2026?

The national non-facility payment is $160.32 and the facility payment is $129.60, using the standard $33.4009 conversion factor. Actual amounts vary by Medicare locality; use the RVU calculator for your area.

What is the work RVU for 90839?

The 2026 work RVU for 90839 is 3.58. Total RVUs are 4.80 in the non-facility setting and 3.88 in the facility setting.

Why are the facility and non-facility amounts different?

Only the practice expense component changes by setting. In an office (non-facility) the practice bears the overhead, so the PE RVU is higher; in a hospital or ASC the facility bills its own overhead separately.

Source: CMS Physician Fee Schedule relative value file (rvu26c.zip, retrieved 2026-07-11). Service description is an original plain-English summary, not CPT descriptor text. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Amounts are estimates before sequestration and claim-level adjustments.