CPT code 96139: Psychology testing2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports additional technician time administering and scoring psychological or neuropsychological tests after the initial technician testing service.
Medicare pays $32.32–$36.36 for 96139 in the office in Illinois, from Rest Of Illinois to Suburban Chicago. 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.
On this page 9 sections
What 96139 covers
A trained technician administers and scores psychological or neuropsychological tests as part of a testing battery, such as measures used to assess memory, attention, learning, or emotional functioning. A physician or other qualified health care professional directs the testing service and uses the results in the broader evaluation. Testing may take place in an office, clinic, hospital, or other setting where the patient completes standardized tasks or instruments.
Report 96139 for each additional 30-minute increment after the initial technician testing service reported with 96138. Documentation should identify the tests, technician’s role, and time spent on administration and scoring. Select the technician code family when a technician performs the administration and scoring; 96139 is not a stand-alone service. CMS classifies it as an add-on code billed with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure’s global period.
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 96139 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
4 payment localities
$32.32 to $36.36
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $35.58 | Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | $32.57 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | $32.32 | Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | $36.36 | Unavailable |
How the 96139 rate is calculated
Each of 96139’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 · 96139
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.06
1.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.0600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$35.40
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 96139
The CMS indicators that decide how 96139 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 96139
Psychology testing
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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 | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
96139 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 96138Psychological testing
- 96138 reports the initial technician administration-and-scoring service; 96139 reports each additional 30-minute increment and must be paired with 96138.
- 96137Test administration
- 96137 is additional testing time performed by a physician or qualified health care professional. Use 96139 when a technician performs the administration and scoring.
- 96146Automated testing
- 96146 describes a single automated test with an automated result. 96139 applies to additional technician administration-and-scoring time.
96139 billing questions
Which primary code must accompany 96139?
Report 96139 only with 96138, the initial technician administration-and-scoring service. It cannot be submitted as a stand-alone service.
How does 96139 differ from 96137?
Both represent additional testing time, but 96139 is for administration and scoring by a technician; 96137 is for work performed by a physician or other qualified health care professional.
Can 96139 and 96137 represent the same testing work?
Do not use both code families to report the same administration-and-scoring work. Choose the family that matches who performed that work.
What supports reporting additional units?
Document the tests administered and scored, who performed the work, and the time attributable to the additional testing service. Each unit represents an additional 30-minute increment.
Is test interpretation included in 96139?
96139 represents technician administration and scoring, not the professional’s interpretation and evaluation of test findings. The evaluation service is reported separately when performed and supported.
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
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