CPT code 97533: Sensory integration, per 15 minutes2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maine
Reports one-on-one sensory integration treatment that addresses sensory processing and adaptive responses to environmental demands, billed in 15-minute units.
Medicare pays $57.11–$60.27 for 97533 in the office in Maine, from Rest of Maine to Southern Maine, ME. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 97533 covers
An occupational therapist typically uses structured sensory experiences to help a patient process input and respond more effectively to everyday demands. Treatment may involve tactile, movement, or deep-pressure activities selected to address the patient’s functional needs, such as tolerating sensory input during dressing, play, or daily routines. This service is commonly provided in outpatient therapy settings, including pediatric practices, when skilled intervention is directed at sensory processing and adaptive responses rather than general exercise or task practice.
Report the service in 15-minute units for documented, direct one-on-one treatment. The record should identify the sensory techniques used, the patient’s response, and how the intervention addressed functional goals. This is a therapy service, so a professional-component modifier does not apply. Under the CMS therapy multiple procedure payment reduction, practice expense is reduced for the second and each later therapy unit furnished on the same day.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 97533 pays more and less in Maine
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest of Maine | $57.11 | Unavailable |
| Southern Maine, ME | $60.27 | Unavailable |
How the 97533 rate is calculated
Each of 97533’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 97533
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.48
0.48 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.33
1.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.01
0.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.8200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$60.79
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 97533
The CMS indicators that decide how 97533 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 97533
Sensory integration, per 15 minutes
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 5 | Therapy reduction: practice expense of the second and later units is reduced. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 7 | Therapy service: the split doesn’t apply. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier CQ · payment effect
With and without the modifier
97533 without CQ · national office
$60.79
Sensory integration, per 15 minutes
97533-CQ · Allowed amount unchanged
$60.79
Medicare cuts its own payment by 15% after the patient’s 20% coinsurance; the allowed amount stays the same. On $100 allowed: $20 coinsurance, then Medicare pays $68 instead of $80.
97533 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 97530Therapeutic activitiesOne-on-one, each 15 minutes
- Choose 97533 for treatment directed at sensory processing and adaptive responses. Choose 97530 for skilled practice of functional activities and tasks.
- 97535Self-care trainingADL and home management, per 15 minutes
- 97535 describes training in self-care and daily living skills. It is not the sensory-processing intervention described by 97533.
- 97112Neuromuscular reeducationBalance, coordination, proprioception, timed
- 97112 focuses on neuromuscular reeducation, such as movement, balance, coordination, or posture training. Use 97533 when the intervention specifically targets sensory processing and adaptive responses.
97533 billing questions
How is this different from therapeutic activities?
Use 97533 when the intervention specifically targets sensory processing and adaptive responses to sensory input. Use 97530 when the skilled treatment is functional task or activity practice.
What should the treatment note describe?
Document the sensory techniques, direct treatment time, patient response, and connection to functional goals. The note should make clear why skilled sensory integration treatment was provided.
Is a professional-component modifier reported?
No. CMS identifies this as a therapy service for which a professional-component modifier does not apply.
How does the therapy multiple procedure reduction affect units?
CMS reduces practice expense for the second and each later therapy unit furnished on the same day. This applies when multiple therapy units are reported that day.
Can 97533 be reported with self-care training?
They may be reported for distinct skilled services when both sensory integration and self-care training are furnished. Keep the documented treatment time and intervention focus separate.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 97533 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist