2025 HCPCS code HS
Family/couple without client present. This modifier is appended to a behavioral health service code to indicate that the provider met with the family or partner of a client without the client being present.
Medical necessity for modifier HS must demonstrate that the family/couple therapy session, without the client present, is a necessary component of the client's overall treatment plan and will contribute to improving their mental and behavioral health. The documentation should explicitly link the session to the client's diagnosis and treatment goals.
The provider is responsible for documenting the medical necessity of the therapy session held without the client present, focusing on how it benefits the client's mental and behavioral health.
In simple words: The code HS means a therapist held a session with a patient's family or partner, but the patient wasn't there. This is done to help the patient's mental health.
The HCPCS modifier HS is used to indicate that a therapy session was conducted with the family or couple of a client, without the client present.This modifier is appended to the primary behavioral health service code. The medical documentation must justify the mental health therapy provided in the client's absence.The service aims to improve the client's mental and behavioral health.
Example 1: A therapist conducts a family therapy session with the parents of a teenager struggling with anxiety, but the teenager does not attend the session., A counselor meets with the spouse of a patient with depression to provide support and guidance, without the patient being present. , A social worker facilitates a session with the siblings of a child with behavioral issues, to discuss strategies for supporting their sibling, without the child being present.
Documentation should clearly justify the clinical need for the family/couple therapy session in the client's absence.It should describe the goals of the session, the topics discussed, and how the session is expected to benefit the client's treatment.
- Specialties:Mental Health, Behavioral Health, Counseling, Social Work, Psychiatry
- Place of Service:Office, Outpatient Hospital, Telehealth Provided in Patient’s Home, Telehealth Provided Other than in Patient’s Home