Behavioral Health & Psychiatry

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Behavioral health is a specialty well-suited for telehealth, as video conferencing software and smartphone apps make care available from anywhere, not just a provider’s office. Virtual behavioral health and telepsychiatry is on the rise, leaving a majority of patients and providers satisfied. Behavioral health now accounts for the majority of all virtual visits, representing 67% of telehealth encounters in 2024 (AHA).

Commonly Billed Medicare Psychiatric Services in KS, MO, and OK

90791	Psych diagnostic evaluation
90832	Psytx w pt 30 minutes
90834	Psytx w pt 45 minutes
90837	Psytx w pt 60 minutes
90839	Psytx crisis initial 60 min
96127	Brief emotional/behav assmt (Medicaid)
G0444	Depression screen annual (Medicare)

See a full list of Medicare telebehavioral services here.

Care Models

from Ingenium Digital Health

Synchronous Clinical Services

These foundational telehealth services deliver real-time care from licensed clinicians, providing the most direct and widely adopted telehealth interventions for behavioral health needs.

TeleTherapy (Individual Counseling)

The most common use of telehealth by far — licensed therapists delivering one-on-one counseling sessions over video, or phone.

Impact: Improves access, reduces stigma (due to increased privacy), and offers flexible scheduling for ongoing care.

TelePsychiatry for Medication Management

Psychiatrists provide diagnosis, medication initiation, and follow-up care virtually — extending psychiatric capacity across settings and expanding geographic reach. Many of our rural clients are using virtual-only subcontracted Psychiatric NPs to provide access to psychiatric care.

Impact: Reduces wait times, supports medication adherence, and fills gaps in rural psychiatric coverage.

TeleGroup Therapy and TeleIOP

Group-based behavioral services, including intensive outpatient programs, are adapted for virtual delivery. Some of our clients offer hybrid TeleIOP where clients can join remotely from home or the nearest clinic. Some of our clients are offering virtual only, even immersive environments.

Impact: Expands capacity, supports peer-based models, and sustains engagement in structured care plans.

TeleCrisis Support in Emergency Departments

Remote psychiatric consults support ED teams in real time during behavioral health crises. Used by almost all of our clients.

Impact: Improves timely access, reduces windshield time or driving in inclement weather or at night. Reduces ED boarding times and enhances triage, especially in facilities without onsite psych.

TeleBehavioral Health at the Inpatient Bedside

Hospitals connect patients with remote behavioral specialists during their stay to improve the clinical care management. This can establish a relationship that continues after discharge.

Impact: Ensures timely psychiatric and psychological care, supports discharge planning, increases client engagement in their care plan and improves whole-person care.

Platform & Network-Based Models

These scalable approaches use third-party networks or centralized hubs to expand behavioral health capacity across multiple sites or regions.

Outsourced TelePsychiatry Networks

Similar to #2 above, organizations contract with virtual psychiatry vendors to provide consults and follow-up care.

Impact: Addresses psychiatrist shortages and enables rapid coverage across multiple sites.

Virtual-Only TeleTherapy Providers

These are the consumer-facing platforms that offer remote therapy independent of local health systems for a fixed monthly fee with 24×7 chat access to therapist and, typically, weekly video sessions.

Impact: Increases access to care, but may not be affordable to some and bring about challenges of care continuity, especially without integration into primary care.

Hub-and-Spoke Behavioral Health Models

Centralized clinical teams provide virtual consults and support to rural or remote clinics.

Impact: Scales behavioral care while maintaining quality across multiple rural locations.

Digital Tools and Remote Monitoring

Now we are getting into the realm of more “fancier” technologies — digital therapeutics, mobile apps, and monitoring tools extend behavioral health care between visits, enabling continuous engagement, proactive outreach, and data-informed interventions.

Digital Therapeutics for Mental Health and SUDs

FDA-cleared apps deliver CBT-based or condition-specific behavioral interventions.

Impact: Augments therapy and fills gaps when clinicians or in-person care aren’t available.

Remote Physiological Monitoring (RPM) for Behavioral Health

Wearables, mobile apps, and connected devices that can track sleep, physical activity, and physiological indicators like heart rate variability can offer valuable behavioral insights between visits.

Impact: Enhances care continuity, supports early intervention, and supplies clinicians with objective, real-time behavioral data.

AI Chatbots and Digital Companions

Automated agents guide patients through structured check-ins or therapeutic content.

Impact: Enhances patient engagement and reduces isolation between clinical sessions.

Asynchronous Messaging and Check-Ins

Most of us use a form of texting to communicate with friends and family. The success of platforms such as those mentioned under #7 above proves that this is a preferred modality for patients: Secure communication platforms that support brief clinician-patient communication between visits.

Impact: Reinforces care plans, prevents drop-off, and supports flexible outreach.

Practicing across state lines with Licensure Compacts

Licensure Compacts are interstate agreements designed to facilitate healthcare provider practice across state boundaries.

Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT)
In order to practice telepsychology in PSYPACT states, psychologists licensed in PSYPACT states only can apply to the PSYPACT Commission for an Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT).

Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma are all part of PSYPACT.

Social Work Licensure Compact

The Social Work Licensure Compact is an interstate occupational licensure compact. Interstate compacts are constitutionally authorized, legislatively enacted, legally binding agreements among states. This compact will enable regulated social workers with bachelor’s, master’s and clinical licenses to serve clients in every state that joins the compact, rather than going through the licensure process in every state where they want to practice. Like the compact for a driver’s license, each Social Work Licensure Compact member state agrees to mutually recognize the licenses issued by every other member state.

A social worker who wishes to use the compact to practice in other states will apply for a multistate license. To be eligible, a social worker must be eligible for or hold a license in their primary state of residence (which must be a member of the compact) and meet other eligibility criteria. When eligibility is verified and all fees are paid, the social worker receives the multistate license and may begin legally working in any compact member state.

Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma are all part of the Social Work Licensure Compact.

FDA-Approved Smartphone Apps

Explore FDA-approved prescription digital therapeutics designed to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, substance use disorders, postpartum depression, and nightmare disorder.

Check out Current evidence on the efficacy of mental health smartphone apps for symptoms of depression and anxiety. A meta‐analysis of 176 randomized controlled trials. (2024)

Trusted Platforms

PulseTRC cannot recommend specific vendors, but widely trusted behavioral health platforms include-

Thriveworks

Thriveworks offers therapy and psychiatric services to individuals of all ages, from adults to teens to children helping them with their unique individual and relationship challenges.

Thrive was selected by Kansas Department of Health and Environment to be deployed to all rural counties as part of the Rural Health Transformation Program.

“The State selected Thrive over other computerized cognitive behavioral health therapy solutions because it is uniquely positioned for implementation in rural communities. First, Thrive has demonstrated the largest and broadest clinical effects across randomized controlled trials, producing approximately 50% greater improvement in depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) compared
to the other leading digital intervention (Schure, 2019; Stuart, 2022; Rejoyn Clinician Brief Summary).”

TalkSpace

What’s included:

Access to a licensed therapist in 2 days (or sooner)
Therapy sessions over video, voice, or live chat (your choice)
Unlimited messaging with your therapist, 24/7 (may vary by insurance coverage)
Switch therapists any time at no cost
Between-session support with Talkcast personalized podcasts

Medicaid & Medicare Policies

Kansas Medicaid

Psychotherapy is a service listed as reimbursable via telehealth when provided through telecommunication technology.
The provider at the distant side must bill an appropriate code from the lists below with place of service (02) designating a telemedicine service provided other than in the patient’s home OR place of service (10) designating a telemedicine service provided in the patient’s home. (Please note: the GT modifier is no longer used to designate a telemedicine service.)
Services delivered via telemedicine will be reimbursed at the same rate as a face-to-face (in the same physical location) service.
Documentation requirements are the same as an in-person service.
The originating site provider, with the patient present, may bill Q3014 with the appropriate place of service code denoted.

Missouri Medicaid

According to the MOHealthNet Behavioral Health Services Manual, any licensed health care provider may provide telemedicine services if such services are within the scope of practice for which the health care provider is licensed and are provided with the same standard of care as services provided in person.
Reimbursement to the health care provider delivering the medical service at the distant site is equal to the current Fee Schedule amount for the service provided.
Use the appropriate CPT code for the service along with POS 02 (telemedicine not in home) or POS 10 (telemedicine in home). Distant site services provided on school grounds should be billed with POS 03 and a GT modifier. See 1.21 Telemedicine Services on page 77 of the above linked manual for more information.
See MO Medicaid page for full guidelines.

Oklahoma Medicaid

If member is a minor child, a parent or legal guardian must present the child for services unless exempted by state or federal law. The parent or guardian need not attend the session unless attendance is therapeutically appropriate.
See PulseTRC’s OK Medicaid page for full guidelines.
Behavioral Health Services Reimbursable Via Telehealth
Behavioral Health Services Reimbursable Via Audio-Only

Medicare

Any behavioral health service furnished by an RHC or FQHC on or after January 1, 2022 through telecommunications technology is paid under the All Inclusive Rate (AIR) and Prospective Payment System (PPS), respectively.

Audio-only services: Under current law, beneficiaries may continue to receive audio-only telehealth services
in their homes through December 31, 2027. Audio-only can be used for both new and established patients.

In-person requirements for mental health treatment: An in-person, non-telehealth visit within 6 months prior to the first mental health telehealth service, is not currently required until after December 31, 2027. For behavioral health visits furnished by RHCs and FQHCs where the patient is present virtually, in-person visit requirements will continue to not apply until at
least until January 1, 2028. See more information from CMS here.

Medicare Learning Network booklet: Behavioral Health Integration Services

Medicare Learning Network booklet: Medicare and Mental Health Services

Behavioral Health Integration (Medicare)

Safety Planning & Crisis Care

CMS encourages providers to use safety planning for patients at risk of suicide, including those with risky substance use. There are 2 billing codes:

G0560 – Safety planning interventions for patients with suicidal crisis or overdose risk. Billed in 20-minute increments when the billing practitioner performs the service. Applies in various settings to ensure accessible crisis care.
G0544 – Post-crisis follow-up care. Requires specific protocols for telephone follow-up after discharge from an emergency department. Covers up to 4 follow-up calls per calendar month as part of bundled crisis care services.

Digital Mental Health Treatment

G0552 – Supply of a digital mental health treatment device and initial education and onboarding, per course of treatment that augments a behavioral therapy plan

G0553 – First 20 minutes of monthly treatment management services directly related to the patient’s therapeutic use of the digital mental health treatment (DMHT) device that augments a behavioral therapy plan, physician/other qualified health care professional time reviewing information related to the use of the DMHT device, including patient observations and patient specific inputs in a calendar month and requiring at least one interactive communication with the patient/caregiver during the calendar month

G0554 – Each additional 20 minutes of monthly treatment management services directly related to the patient’s therapeutic use of the digital mental health treatment (DMHT) device that augments a behavioral therapy plan, physician/other qualified health care professional time reviewing data generated from the DMHT device from patient observations and patient specific inputs in a calendar month and requiring at least one interactive communication with the patient/caregiver during the calendar mon

Fore more info, visit https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mln909432-behavioral-health-integration-services.pdf

Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program (PMHCA): Improving Behavioral Health Services

To meet children’s behavioral health needs, HRSA’s PMHCA programs help pediatric health professionals with consultation, training, resources, and referrals. This support helps them effectively add behavioral health to routine checkups.

Kansas Kids Mental Health Access Program (KSKidsMAP)

KSKidsMAP is a program for primary care physicians and clinicians in Kansas through a telehealth network. It is a partnership between the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. . Click here to view their website.

KSKidsMAP supports primary care physicians and clinicians’ treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, suicidal ideation, behavioral problems, poor school performance, learning disabilities, and more.

As a member of KSKidsMAP, you have access to a number of services, including:

Support services through the toll-free Consultation Line
Mental health and community resources
Toolkits and best practices information
Case consultation
KSKidsMAP TeleECHO Clinic

Missouri Child Psychiatry Access Project (MO-CPAP)

Missouri Child Psychiatry Access Project (MO-CPAP) has child and adolescent psychiatrists available within 30 minutes of request and a robust resources & referral services that connects families with community-based resources, such as therapy and support groups, this program promotes a collaborative approach to childhood mental health for healthcare and social service providers who serve children in Missouri. This program works to achieve a vision of increased mental health care access and support provided to healthcare and social service providers as they address mild to moderate behavioral health concerns in their practices. Click here to view their website.