Clinical Context
A patient presents to an emergency department or an urgent care center after an acute behavioral health crisis characterized by severe anxiety, panic, suicidal ideation without a plan, or an acute psychotic episode. The attending psychiatric clinician (psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or licensed clinical social worker in applicable non-office settings) performs an initial crisis psychotherapy intervention focusing on stabilization, risk assessment, de-escalation, and a brief therapeutic plan. The service documented as G0017 represents the first 60 minutes of psychotherapy for crisis furnished in a non-office site of service where non-facility rates apply (for example, emergency department, observation unit, community mental health center, or patient’s residence when applicable under payor rules).
Clinical workflow:
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Triage nurse identifies behavioral health complaint and notifies psychiatric crisis team.
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Clinician conducts focused psychiatric evaluation, including suicide/homicide risk, mental status exam, and safety planning.
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Clinician delivers time-limited crisis psychotherapy interventions (empathic support, crisis containment, coping strategies, brief problem-solving) for up to the first 60 minutes and documents start and stop times.
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If additional psychotherapy time is required beyond the initial 60 minutes, subsequent units or separate codes (per payer policy) are considered and documented.
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Disposition planning occurs (release with outpatient follow-up, inpatient psychiatric admission, or transfer), with documentation supporting medical necessity of the crisis psychotherapy service G0017.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|
00 | No modifier | Standard reporting when no other modifier applies |
23 | Unusual anesthesia | Rarely applicable; used only if unusually extensive sedation/anesthesia was required during crisis therapy (very uncommon)
52 | Reduced services | Use when the psychotherapy crisis service was partially provided and reduced in scope or duration compared to full service
53 | Discontinued procedure | Use when crisis psychotherapy was started but discontinued due to patient condition or transfer
62 | Two surgeons | Not typically used for psychotherapy; not applicable except in exceptional staffing arrangements
78 | Return to OR for related procedure during postoperative period | Not applicable for standard crisis psychotherapy; do not use in routine crisis care
80 | Assistant surgeon | Not applicable to psychotherapy services
93 | Synchronous telemedicine service rendered via telephone or other real-time interactive audio-only telecommunications system | Use when the crisis psychotherapy is delivered via audio-only telehealth in payors that accept modifier 93
AS | Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for assistant at surgery | Not applicable for psychotherapy
QX | Service performed by certified nurse-midwife or CRNA? (billing pair) | Not applicable for psychotherapy
Note: Several modifiers in the provided list are rarely applicable to G0017 psychotherapy crisis services (e.g., surgical assistant modifiers). Clinically relevant modifiers for this code primarily address reduced or discontinued services and telehealth modality.
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty | Notes |
|---|
103K00000X | Psychiatrist | Medical doctor specializing in psychiatry; frequently provides crisis psychotherapy in ED or inpatient settings |
183P00000X | Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | Provides psychotherapy and crisis intervention in emergency and community settings
101Y00000X | Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner | Provides assessment and psychotherapy in crisis settings and can bill under applicable rules
207Q00000X | Psychologist | Delivers psychotherapy-based crisis interventions in non-office settings
367500000X | Behavioral Health Clinician (Counselor) | Licensed professional counselor or behavioral health clinician providing crisis psychotherapy
Related Diagnoses
| ICD-10 Code | Description | Clinical Relevance |
|---|
F32.9 | Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified | Depressive episodes with acute exacerbation may precipitate crisis psychotherapy for suicidal ideation or functional impairment |
F41.0 | Panic disorder [episodic paroxysmal anxiety] | Acute panic attack presentations commonly require crisis-focused psychotherapy for symptom containment
F41.9 | Anxiety disorder, unspecified | Severe anxiety crises presenting to emergency or urgent care settings are appropriate for crisis psychotherapy
F43.10 | Post-traumatic stress disorder, unspecified | Acute PTSD exacerbations with intense distress can require crisis intervention
R45.851 | Suicidal ideation | Directly indicates an immediate safety concern that often triggers crisis psychotherapy services
F20.9 | Schizophrenia, unspecified | Acute psychotic agitation or decompensation may require crisis-focused psychotherapy and stabilization
F32.3 | Major depressive disorder, severe with psychotic features | Severe mood episodes with psychosis frequently prompt emergency crisis intervention and brief psychotherapy
F31.4 | Bipolar disorder, current episode depressed, severe, with psychotic features | Acute bipolar crises with high-risk features commonly receive crisis psychotherapy as part of stabilization
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description | Relationship to This Procedure |
|---|
90791 | Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation (no medical services) | Often performed prior to or as part of crisis assessment; documents diagnostic formulation that may accompany crisis psychotherapy |
90839 | Psychotherapy for crisis, first 60 minutes | Clinically similar to G0017 but billed as CPT in some payer policies or for office settings; used when CPT-based billing is required
90840 | Psychotherapy for crisis, each additional 30 minutes | Used when psychotherapy extends beyond the initial 60 minutes covered by G0017 and payer policy allows separate reporting
99282 | Emergency department visit, low to moderate severity | Often billed for the ED medical evaluation portion alongside crisis psychotherapy when medically necessary
99499 | Unlisted evaluation and management service | Used rarely for atypical or bundled crisis services when no specific code applies