Article archive / August 1, 2010
Originally published: . Volume 1, No. 12. Source pages: 10.
(This column is the first in a series about health psychology.)
Health Psychology defines itself as the clinical specialty that applies scientific knowledge of the inter-relationships among behavioral, emotional, cog- nitive, social and biological com- ponents of psychology to serve people in heath and disease. Clinical health psychologists work to promote and maintain health in their own patients and participate in treatment and rehabilitation programs of medical patients. Their mission includes relating socio-cultural factors such as diversity, ethnicity, and gender to health issues.
The American Psychological Association (APA) has led the effort to introduce new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for billing to third party payers that reflect the increase in psychologist participation in health care. The codes apply when psychological services are given to patients whose primary diagnosis is medical, even when a secondary psychiatric diagnosis exists.
For example, CPT Code No. 96152 covers intervention services provided to an individual. Patients’ failures to adhere to treatment present major obstacles to regaining or maintaining health. Psychologists have the training and skill to assist patients in making behavioral changes that can be life enhancing and potentially life-saving. Compliance failure regarding medications is one critical area of health care that can be addressed behaviorally. Patients often leave a physician’s office with a prescription that never gets filled, fill their prescriptions but never take them, or fail to follow proper directions. Providing behavioral treatment to increase individual patient compliance would be billed under this code.
CPT Code 96150 covers initial assessment of psychological, social, and cultural factors that may contribute to complications in medical conditions and medical treatment. Cardiac patients represent one group that usually requires major life style changes as part of their medical treatment. An evaluation by a health psychologist would provide recommendations regarding changes in behaviors such as smoking or weight. A health psychologist also may be part of a medical team that provides cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, assessing and treating the complexities of body alterations. Additionally, most protocols for gender re-assignment surgery include psychological assessment early in the process to rule out serious mental illness and assist in facilitating adjustment across gender boundaries.
Other new CPT codes include 9615 – re-assessment, 96152 – individual intervention, 96154 – family member intervention with patient present, 96155 – family member intervention without patient present, and 96153 – group interventions.
In my next column I will feature some of the activities of health psychologists in Louisiana. Please send your questions and comments about health psychology to cweyand@cooper.net.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.