A superbill is the itemized statement that lets a private-pay client claim part of your fee back from their insurance plan. If one field is missing or wrong, the plan sends the claim back and the client waits weeks to try again.
This guide covers every field, the codes for telehealth, and the mistakes that cause the most delays. To make one now, use our free superbill generator. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
What a superbill is for
When a client sees a therapist outside their plan's network, they pay you directly. If their plan has out-of-network benefits, they can file a claim for reimbursement themselves. The superbill is the document that claim is built from: it tells the insurer who provided the care, what it was for, what was done, when, and what was paid.
You aren't filing anything with the insurer. The client sends the superbill, usually with the plan's own member claim form. Plans want an itemized statement. Cigna's behavioral health claim form says: "Receipts, balance due statements and cancelled checks are not acceptable replacements for the itemized bill." Reimbursement depends on their plan's out-of-network deductible, coinsurance and the amount it allows for each service, so a superbill never guarantees payment.
Every field, in order
Payers publish what they need. Cigna's behavioral health claim form requires the procedure code, the provider's name and credentials, address and tax ID, the date of service, an ICD-10 diagnosis code and the charge. UnitedHealthcare also asks for modifiers, units and the place-of-service code, and Anthem and Aetna list similar fields. Insurers read a member claim the way they read a standard CMS-1500 claim, so it helps to lay the superbill out in the same order.
About you
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name and credentials | As licensed, for example "Jordan Lee, LCSW". |
| License number and state | The state where the client was located during the session. |
| NPI | Your individual (Type 1) National Provider Identifier. If you bill under a group, include the group's Type 2 NPI as well. Look either up on the NPPES registry. |
| Tax ID | Your practice's EIN. Using an EIN instead of your Social Security number keeps your SSN off documents clients handle. |
| Practice address and phone | Where the practice is located. |
About the client
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | Exactly as it appears on their insurance card. |
| Date of birth | Plans match members by name and date of birth. |
| Member ID and plan | Optional on the superbill itself, but it saves a step if the plan's form asks for it. |
| Address | Some plans' claim forms ask for it. |
Diagnoses
List each ICD-10-CM diagnosis code with its description, labeled A, B, C and D as on a CMS-1500. Each session line then points to the diagnosis it relates to. Use the most specific code your assessment supports, for example F41.1 (generalized anxiety disorder) rather than an unspecified code.
Each session
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Date of service | One line per session. |
| Place of service | 11 for an office visit; 10 for telehealth with the client at home; 02 for telehealth with the client somewhere else. |
| CPT code | The service, for example 90837 for 53 minutes or more of psychotherapy. |
| Modifier | Only if the client's plan asks for one, such as 95 for some plans' telehealth claims. |
| Diagnosis pointer | The letter of the diagnosis the session treated. |
| Units | Usually 1 for a psychotherapy session. |
| Fee | What you charge for the service, before any discount. |
| Amount paid | What the client actually paid you, and the date. |
Finish with the total charged, the total paid and any balance, then sign and date it.
The codes therapists use most
| CPT code | Service |
|---|---|
| 90791 | Diagnostic evaluation (intake) |
| 90832 | Psychotherapy, 16 to 37 minutes |
| 90834 | Psychotherapy, 38 to 52 minutes |
| 90837 | Psychotherapy, 53 minutes or more |
| 90846 | Family or couples therapy without the client present |
| 90847 | Family or couples therapy with the client present |
| 90853 | Group psychotherapy |
| 90839 and 90840 | Crisis psychotherapy, first 60 minutes and each added 30 |
| 90785 | Interactive complexity, added to another code |
The minute ranges for 90832, 90834 and 90837 follow the time rule CMS uses for these codes. Code the time you actually spent in the session; the length of the appointment slot doesn't count.
Mistakes that get claims sent back
- A name that doesn't match the card. Plans match members by name and date of birth, so "Liz" on the superbill and "Elizabeth" on the card can stall a claim.
- No diagnosis, or a description without a code. Plans need the ICD-10-CM code.
- The wrong place of service for telehealth. It's easy to leave 11 (office) on a video session. Use 10 or 02.
- The fee and the payment don't add up. If you gave a sliding-scale rate, list what you charged and what the client paid, consistently.
- A missing signature or NPI. Both are easy to forget on a template.
- Filing late. Plans set their own deadlines for member claims. Cigna's behavioral health form says 180 days unless the plan or state law allows more time, and Kaiser Permanente in Oregon and Washington allows 12 months. A monthly superbill keeps clients well inside them.
Medicare and Medicaid
Superbills are for commercial plans. Federal law requires clinicians who see Medicare clients to submit the claims themselves, at no charge to the client, unless they have opted out of Medicare. Clinicians who have opted out sign a private contract in which each client agrees not to submit a claim to Medicare. Medicaid generally pays only providers enrolled with the state's program. Our guide to the 2027 Medicare fee schedule covers the opt-out basics.
Privacy
A superbill carries a diagnosis, and the client decides whether to send it to their insurer. Some clients pay privately because they would rather their insurer didn't have a mental health diagnosis on file. Tell clients what the superbill contains before they file it, and send it through a secure portal or hand it over rather than by plain email.
Making superbills without the busywork
The superbill generator builds the document in your browser and stores nothing, which works for a handful of clients. In CoralEHR, a superbill is built in one click from sessions the client has paid, with the diagnosis carried over by date of service, and it lands in the client's portal. Good Faith Estimates for self-pay clients are issued at booking, and out-of-network claims that Coral files for clients are coming to Pro.
For the conversation with clients about benefits, see how to explain out-of-network benefits, and before plan renewals, our open enrollment guide.
Read on October 31, 2026. Plans set their own claim requirements and deadlines. Check the client's plan before relying on any single field list. This is general information, not billing or legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a superbill in therapy?
A superbill is an itemized statement a therapist gives a client who paid out of pocket, so the client can ask their insurance plan to reimburse part of the fee under out-of-network benefits. It lists the provider, the client, diagnosis codes, and each session with its date, CPT code, place of service, fee and what the client paid.
What needs to be on a therapy superbill?
Your name, credentials, license number, NPI, tax ID and practice address; the client's name, date of birth and member ID; ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes; and for each session the date, place-of-service code, CPT code, any modifier the plan asks for, the fee and the amount paid. Sign and date it.
What place-of-service code do I use for telehealth on a superbill?
POS 10 when the client was at home for the telehealth session, and POS 02 when they were somewhere other than home, such as their workplace. POS 11 is an in-person office visit. Some commercial plans also ask for modifier 95 on telehealth lines, so check the client's plan.
Does a superbill need a diagnosis code?
Yes. Insurers decide medical necessity from the diagnosis, so a superbill without an ICD-10-CM code will usually be sent back. The diagnosis goes to the insurer, which is one reason some clients choose not to file.
Can Medicare patients submit a superbill?
Generally not. Federal law requires clinicians who see Medicare clients to submit the claims themselves unless they have opted out of Medicare, and a clinician who has opted out signs a private contract in which the client agrees not to submit a claim to Medicare. Superbills are for clients with commercial plans that have out-of-network benefits.
How often should I give clients a superbill?
Most practices give one a month, covering every session that month, or one per session for clients who file as they go. Filing deadlines vary by plan and state; Cigna's behavioral health form, for example, says 180 days unless the plan allows more. A monthly superbill keeps clients well inside them.
Arhaan Gupta
Co-founder and CEO, CoralEHR
I co-founded CoralEHR, an EHR for private-pay therapy practices, and I set up every new practice with them myself.
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