Do insurance companies reimburse for neurofeedback?

Some insurance companies pay directly for the biofeedback insurance code (90901).  Many will not. There are many other insurance codes that have worked well for clinicians, including billing the psychotherapy code.   But there are clearly plans that make it very hard to get reimbursement.  There's been a significant increase in success with insurance reimbursements over the last 3 years.  The challenge still exists.  Biofeedback is not covered by Medicare or Medicaid except for a few pain/neurological problems.

Many professionals have chosen to not accept insurance on neurofeedback, and are reporting significant success.  Clients who are looking for an alternative are often more willing to pay for this training versus other therapies.  Clinicians taking cash will usually provide the billing for the client to file with their own insurance.

Neurofeedback uses the same CPT billing code as biofeedback – 90901, which is gaining increasing coverage.  Insurance companies may be restrictive about which diagnostic codes are used with 90901, or may not reimburse well for this code.  Other billing codes are used.  For mental health therapists, the psychotherapy billing code is often used.  Others call the insurance provider and use what codes they specify.  90875 and 90876 are new codes for psychotherapy combined with biofeedback, but they are still fairly new codes and not as widely covered.  Some neuropsychologists bill neurofeedback as part of a cognitive rehabilitation program.  Other codes have been reported used on occasion. MD’s may get better insurance reimbursement than other disciplines. Any decision about insurance billing codes is totally the responsibility of the clinician.