Key Takeaways
TruCare is our first pick for New York practices. TruCare OS brings medical billing automation for mental health into one record, and its billers work from the rules New York clinicians bill under: timed psychotherapy codes, eMedNY filing, telehealth billing, and Part 2 privacy.
Where the session happens sets the payment path. A private practice bills professional claims, an OMH-licensed clinic bills at APG rates, and a CCBHC bills at a daily rate. A biller who knows one path is not automatically ready for the others.
Ninety days is the Medicaid clock. eMedNY expects initial claims within 90 days of the date of service, and provider delays do not qualify for an extension.
Commercial plans now owe clinics a floor. Under Part AA of Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2024, insurers must pay in-network OMH and OASAS clinics at least the Medicaid rate for outpatient services.
Published pricing is uncommon. Among behavioral health billing companies, TruCare lists rates from 2.49% of collections, and MedStates quotes a typical 3% to 5%. TheraThink charges a percentage of the allowed amount on paid claims, and the rest quote on request.
1. TruCare
TruCare
5.0 / 5 · Our rating
Best for
New York practices that want billing, credentialing, and eligibility handled by one team
Company Overview
TruCare's mental health billing keeps every claim on one patient record that four tools share:
TruIntake covers scheduling, intake, and eligibility.
TruRev runs billing from charge entry to cash posting.
TruCred handles credentialing and payer enrollment.
TruIntel reports on claims, denials, and A/R.
It supports therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, and behavioral health clinics, so eligibility, panel status, and claim history stay in one place when eMedNY, a Medicaid plan, or a commercial payer asks. TruCare pays close attention to time-based psychotherapy codes, payer enrollment, telehealth place of service, and Part 2 consent. Certified billers work the claims the software flags in more than 20 EHRs, including TheraNest, TherapyNotes, Carepatron, and SimplePractice. Support runs remotely, by phone or video.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Intake, eligibility, billing, and credentialing share one record
- Credentialing handled in-house, useful when adding Medicaid managed care panels
- Works with 20+ EHRs, including TheraNest, TherapyNotes, Carepatron, and SimplePractice
- Publishes its pricing, from 2.49% of collections
Cons
- Support runs remotely rather than from a local office
- Founded in 2022, a shorter record than longer-established firms
- Contract terms come on request rather than posted
Pricing
Best For
Key Features / USPs
Our Verdict
Reviews from Reddit, Google, and Trustpilot
Google“They understand both large group practices and individual providers.”
Trustpilot“No Trustpilot reviews yet.”
Reddit“No Reddit reviews yet.”
Average Review Score and Summary of Reviews
2. BellMedEx
BellMedEx
4.8 / 5 · Our rating
Best for
Article 31 clinics and community behavioral health programs
Company Overview
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Article 31 and APG billing, with payment audits against expected rates
- Supports HARP, CORE, BH HCBS, CFTSS, and CCBHC billing
- Serves psychiatrists, counselors, group clinics, and community programs
- The largest review base on this list
Cons
- Most public reviews come from credentialing and general billing clients
- Prices are not published
- EHR integrations are not listed
Pricing
Best For
Key Features / USPs
Our Verdict
Reviews from Reddit, Google, and Trustpilot
Google“I am so glad that I found BellMedEx to process my insurance billing! Their work, reliability, dedication, and results have been excellent plus the people I have interacted with have been wonderful. I wish I had started working with them many years ago!”
Trustpilot“We’ve had an excellent experience working with BellMedEx. Their team is professional, transparent, and consistently responsive. They take the time to explain everything clearly, keep us informed, and address any questions or concerns promptly.”
Reddit“No Reddit reviews yet.”
Average Review Score and Summary of Reviews
3. MedStates
MedStates
5.0 / 5 · Our rating
Best for
Practices that want a Manhattan team and a published fee range
Company Overview
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Manhattan-based, with a published fee range of 3% to 5%
- No-cost practice analysis before you commit
- Credentialing, coding, and denial appeals under one team
- Integrates with SimplePractice and TherapyNotes
Cons
- Few public reviews
- Reported claim speed and recovery figures come from the company
- Fee depends on scope and is confirmed in a quote
Pricing
Best For
Key Features / USPs
Our Verdict
Reviews from Reddit, Google, and Trustpilot
Google“MedStates has been working with our 501c3 agency to start Outpatient Therapy Mental Health Services, and they have helped us to get our Group NPI set up as well as credential all of our clinicians (and have them paneled with multiple insurance agencies). MedStates has also helped us to set up SimplePractice as our EHR, and will be responsible for billing.”
Trustpilot“No Trustpilot reviews yet.”
Reddit“No Reddit reviews yet.”
Average Review Score and Summary of Reviews
4. O’Brien’s Billing
O’Brien’s Billing
5.0 / 5 · Our rating
Best for
Solo clinicians and small groups that want a long-standing family firm
Company Overview
Pros and Cons
Pros
- More than 30 years of billing for mental health practices
- Family-owned, with long-term clients who describe a personal touch
- Benefit verification before the first appointment
- EHR implementation, EFT setup, and credentialing alongside billing
Cons
- Built for solo clinicians and small groups rather than clinics
- Prices are not published
- EHR integrations are not listed
Pricing
Best For
Key Features / USPs
Our Verdict
Reviews from Reddit, Google, and Trustpilot
Google“O’Brien’s is 100% professional, and they go the extra mile to be helpful to me and my business. I highly recommend them.”
Trustpilot“No Trustpilot reviews yet.”
Reddit“No Reddit reviews yet.”
Average Review Score and Summary of Reviews
5. TheraThink
TheraThink
– / 5 · Our rating
Best for
Therapists who want a mental-health-only biller and a free trial
Company Overview
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Works only with licensed mental health professionals
- Charges a percentage of paid claims, not billed charges
- Month-to-month contract with a free 30-day trial
- Eligibility checks within two business days
Cons
- Small team
- Limited independent reviews
- The percentage is quoted on request rather than posted
Pricing
Best For
Key Features / USPs
Our Verdict
Reviews from Reddit, Google, and Trustpilot
Google“No Google reviews yet.”
Trustpilot“No Trustpilot reviews yet.”
Reddit“No Reddit reviews yet.”
Average Review Score and Summary of Reviews
6. Billing Nerds
Billing Nerds
4.9 / 5 · Our rating
Best for
Practices that want billing, credentialing, and consulting from a Brooklyn team
Company Overview
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Brooklyn-based, with billing, credentialing, and documentation review together
- A dedicated account manager for each client
- Reviewers praise fast credentialing and responsive communication
- Patient statement services available
Cons
- Behavioral health is one of many practice types it serves
- Reported claim rates come from the company
- Prices are not published
Pricing
Best For
Key Features / USPs
Our Verdict
Reviews from Reddit, Google, and Trustpilot
Google“The credentialing services are amazing! Thank you Silver for helping our therapy practice get enrolled with Medicare. The billing team is equally knowledgeable and professional. Highly recommend!”
Trustpilot“No Trustpilot reviews yet.”
Reddit“No Reddit reviews yet.”
Average Review Score and Summary of Reviews
Mental Health Billing Companies in NYC: Side by Side
| Company | Pricing model | Specialties | Tech / EHR integrations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TruCare | % of collections, from 2.49% | Mental health and behavioral health billing | 20+ EHRs, including TheraNest, TherapyNotes, Carepatron, and SimplePractice | Billing and credentialing together |
| BellMedEx | Quote-based | Behavioral health billing for clinics, CCBHCs, and practices | Not listed | Article 31 and APG billing |
| MedStates (NYC) | Typically 3% to 5% of collections | Therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinics | SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and others | A Manhattan team and a fee range |
| O’Brien’s Billing (New York) | Quote-based | Mental health billing and credentialing | Not listed | A seasoned family firm |
| TheraThink | % of allowed amount on paid claims, plus a monthly clearinghouse fee | Therapists and psychiatrists | Not listed | A mental-health-only trial |
| Billing Nerds (Brooklyn) | Quote-based | Billing, credentialing, and consulting | Not listed | A Brooklyn team |
The New York Rulebook for Mental Health Billing
The State Education Department licenses you first.
The Office of the Professions licenses mental health counselors, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists. Medicaid and commercial enrollment follow, and a clinician cannot bill a plan until both are complete.Medicaid pays licensed counselors and therapists directly.
The eMedNY policy guidelines for LCSWs, LMHCs, and LMFTs cover fee-for-service billing in private and group practice. Services by limited-permit holders are billed under the supervising clinician’s NPI.Ninety days from the visit.
eMedNY expects initial claims within 90 days of the date of service, and provider delays do not qualify for an extension, so slow charge entry can end a claim before it is sent.Minutes set the code.
Psychotherapy bills by face-to-face time using three main codes: 90832, 90834, and 90837. 90832 covers 16 to 37 minutes, 90834 covers 38 to 52 minutes, and 90837 covers 53 minutes or more. A note without start and stop times invites a downcode, and every claim needs ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes from a DSM-5 diagnosis that supports medical necessity.Evaluations and add-ons follow their own codes.
90791 and 90792 are evaluations, reported once rather than by the minute, and 90785 adds interactive complexity. When a prescriber adds therapy to an E/M visit, 90833, 90836, and 90838 use the same time bands. Crisis, family, group, and testing services use 90839, 90840, 90846, 90847, 90853, and 96130 to 96139, each with its own documentation rules.- Clinics and CCBHCs
Article 31 and Article 32 clinics bill at APG rates.
OMH-licensed outpatient clinics under Part 599 and OASAS-certified outpatient programs under Part 822 are paid through Ambulatory Patient Group rates, so the rate code, procedure code, and peer group determine payment. The OMH and OASAS billing manual sets out the combinations. - Clinics and CCBHCs
Medicaid managed care must pay the government rate.
New York requires Medicaid managed care plans to pay at least the fee-for-service government rates for OMH and OASAS outpatient programs, so a clinic should expect the same APG rate whichever plan covers the member. - Clinics and CCBHCs
Commercial plans now owe clinics a floor.
Under Part AA of Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2024, insurers must reimburse in-network OMH and OASAS facilities for covered outpatient services at no less than the Medicaid rate, and OMH publishes the rate exhibits each year. - Clinics and CCBHCs
CCBHCs bill a daily rate.
CCBHC Medicaid claims use a unique rate code, 1147, and a clinic-specific daily rate, and a CCBHC may run a separate Article 31 clinic at the same site billed at the APG rate. The state’s CCBHC billing guidance explains how the two programs are kept apart. - Clinics and CCBHCs
Part 2 raises the privacy bar.
Substance use disorder records carry confidentiality rules beyond HIPAA, and the compliance date for the 2024 update was February 16, 2026. New York adds Mental Hygiene Law section 33.13 for clinical records at licensed programs, so a billing partner needs written rules for what it receives and shares. - Clinics and CCBHCs
Authorization and level of care drive payment.
Residential, partial, and intensive outpatient programs depend on utilization review. Levels of care follow the ASAM criteria, and facility claims usually go on the UB-04 with revenue codes, not the CMS-1500 that practices use. - Clinics and CCBHCs
ABA runs on units.
Applied behavior analysis bills adaptive behavior codes such as 97151 to 97158 in 15-minute units, so authorizations are counted in units and tracked as they are used. - Medicaid managed care
HARP members carry extra services.
Health and Recovery Plans serve adults with high behavioral health needs and add CORE and BH HCBS services on top of the full benefit package, billed under the same OMH and OASAS managed care manual. - Medicaid managed care
Every plan keeps its own panel.
Mainstream Medicaid managed care plans and HARPs each maintain a provider panel, and enrollment with one plan does not carry to another. - Medicare and commercial
Medicare Part B routes through National Government Services.
New York professional claims go to the contractor for the Northeast, and counselors and marriage and family therapists have been able to bill Medicare directly since January 1, 2024. - Medicare and commercial
Telehealth from home is covered.
Medicare lets patients receive mental health services by telehealth at home, with the in-person requirement on hold through 2027. Claims use place of service 10 for the patient’s home and 02 elsewhere, and many plans expect a modifier such as 95. - Medicare and commercial
Integration and digital codes follow their own rules.
Psychiatric Collaborative Care bills under 99492 to 99494, general behavioral health integration under 99484 and G0323, and digital mental health treatment devices under G0552 to G0554, each with time thresholds and a treatment plan on file. - Medicare and commercial
Parity law still applies.
Federal parity law and New York’s Timothy’s Law require comparable coverage for mental health and medical care. Federal enforcement of the 2024 update’s new provisions has been paused since May 2025, but the underlying law remains in force. - Medicare and commercial
Behavioral health panels differ.
Many commercial plans carve behavioral health out to separate managed behavioral health organizations, such as Optum, Carelon Behavioral Health, and Magellan, with their own credentialing panels. - Medicare and commercial
Out-of-network claims have two layers.
The No Surprises Act requires a good faith estimate for self-pay and uninsured patients, and New York has its own surprise-bill protections handled through the Department of Financial Services.
Where New York Claims Break
| Where it breaks | What it costs | What a good partner does |
|---|---|---|
| Medicaid claim crosses 90 days | Denial with little route back | Bills early and tracks the date of service on every open claim |
| Clinic claim sent without the right rate code or peer group | Underpayment or rejection | Checks the APG rate code and procedure combination before submission |
| CCBHC encounter billed at the APG rate | Wrong payment | Uses rate code 1147 and keeps the Article 31 program separate |
| Limited-permit clinician billed under their own NPI | Denial or recoupment | Bills under the supervising clinician’s NPI where the policy requires it |
| Session billed above its documented minutes | Downcode or denial | Checks start and stop times before submission |
| Clinician not on the plan’s panel | Unpaid sessions | Confirms panel status with each plan before the first visit |
| Commercial plan pays an OMH clinic below the Medicaid floor | Lost revenue | Compares each payment with the published Part AA rate |
| Telehealth billed with the wrong place of service | Rejected claim | Checks place of service and modifiers by payer |
| Substance use records shared without proper consent | Compliance exposure | Uses Part 2-aware consents and notices |
How to Test a Mental Health Billing Company in NYC
Ask These Questions
Vague answers promise that the team “knows the New York rules.” Strong ones are specific. Ask these during your demo to make a more informed decision.
- ExperienceHow many New York mental health practices or programs do you bill for today?
- Payment PathWhich paths do you bill: professional claims, Article 31 or 32 APG, or CCBHC daily rates?
- eMedNYHow do you track the 90-day Medicaid window from the date of service?
- PanelsWhich Medicaid managed care plans, HARPs, and commercial panels are your clinicians enrolled with, and who tracks renewals?
- Time CodesHow do you confirm session start and stop times before a claim leaves?
- PrivacyHow do you handle substance use records under 42 CFR Part 2 and Mental Hygiene Law section 33.13?
- EHR FitWhich mental health EHRs has the team worked in?
- Exit TermsWhat happens to my data and open claims if I leave?
Get the answers in writing
Send these 8 questions to every company you shortlist, so you can compare the answers side by side.
Signals to Walk Away From
- A percentage quoted on billed charges instead of collections
- A promise to credential you with every plan in a fixed number of days
- Collection rate promises with no New York client data behind them
- Strong professional billing answers paired with vague APG or CCBHC ones
- No read-only access to your own claim and payer systems
Build In-House or Outsource?
| Question | In-house team | Outsourced partner |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Salary, benefits, software, training | A share of collections or a flat fee |
| What happens when someone leaves | Claims wait for a replacement | Another biller picks up the queue |
| New York payment-path knowledge | Whatever your hire has seen | Built across many practices and clinics |
| How you supervise | Daily and direct | Through reports and scheduled calls |
| Where it fits best | Larger clinics with a stable team | Solo clinicians, growing groups, or after turnover |
Compliance Essentials Your Biller Should Already Know
Licensure and enrollment.
Records and consent.
Telehealth rules.
Audit readiness.
What Does Mental Health Billing Cost in NYC?
4% to 8%
Fixed
Separate
Mistakes New York Practices Make
- 1
Hiring a general biller for a clinic.
Professional claims and APG clinic claims are different jobs. A biller who learned one will lose revenue on the other. - 2
Missing the 90-day window.
eMedNY counts from the date of service and does not excuse provider delays, so slow charge entry or a credentialing gap can end a claim before it is sent. - 3
Letting plans pay below the floor.
Commercial plans must pay in-network OMH and OASAS clinics at least the Medicaid rate. Ask whether your biller compares each payment with the published rate. - 4
Billing a limited-permit clinician under the wrong NPI.
Services by supervised clinicians follow the supervising clinician’s NPI under the Medicaid policy. Confirm each plan’s rule before the first claim. - 5
Skipping the reference calls.
Two conversations with New York practices or programs like yours tell you more than any proposal.
How We Ranked These Companies
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Mental health depth | 30% | Time-based coding, credentialing, authorizations, telehealth, and share of behavioral health clients |
| New York readiness | 20% | eMedNY filing, APG and CCBHC billing, Medicaid managed care and HARP panels, Part 2 and Mental Hygiene Law handling |
| Transparency | 15% | Published pricing or a clear quote process, contract terms, data access |
| Technology and EHR fit | 15% | Works inside your EHR, reporting the client can see |
| Verified client feedback | 10% | Google, Trustpilot, and Reddit ratings and written reviews |
| Onboarding and support | 10% | Named contact, written onboarding plan, credentialing timeline |
Data sources
Review process
Conflict of interest disclosure: TruCare publishes this guide and appears on this list. We scored TruCare against the same criteria as every other company, and we accept no payment for placement. Read our editorial policy.
Final Picks: Which One Fits You?
- TruCare if you want billing and credentialing on one record with a published rate.
- BellMedEx if you run an Article 31 clinic or community program and need APG, HARP, and CCBHC billing.
- MedStates if you want a Manhattan team and a fee range you can estimate.
- O’Brien’s Billing if you want a seasoned family firm for a solo or small-group practice.
- TheraThink if you want a mental-health-only biller and a free trial.
- Billing Nerds if you want billing and credentialing from a Brooklyn team.
Frequently Asked Questions
TruCare Service Details
Serving Greater New York City
TruCare
- Mental health billing and revenue cycle management
- New York City Mental Health Billing
- Trucare
- Service price
- From 2.49% of collections
- Mental health
- Behavioral Health
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Counseling and Therapy
- Substance Use Treatment
- Group Practices
- Therapists, prescribers, and group practices
- TruCare OS, with certified billers working every flagged claim
TruIntake
TruRev
TruCred
TruIntel
Connects to TheraNest, TherapyNotes, Carepatron, SimplePractice, and 20+ EHRs
- New York City and all of New York
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM – 6 PM (EST)