Community mental health center waiting room

POS 53

Place of Service Code 53: Community Mental Health Center

POS Code

Telehealth

What is Place of Service Code 53?

POS 53 designates services provided at a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) — a facility that delivers mental health care to a defined geographic area, often serving Medicaid and uninsured populations. CMHCs have specific Medicare certification requirements and provide a range of outpatient psychiatric and therapy services.

When to Use POS 53

Use POS 53 when billing for outpatient mental health services delivered at a certified Community Mental Health Center. This POS is specific to CMS-certified CMHCs and carries distinct partial hospitalization billing rules under Medicare.

CPT Codes Commonly Paired with POS 53

These CPT codes are frequently billed with Place of Service 53 in therapy practice:

CPT 90837 - Psychotherapy, 60 minutes CPT 90853 - Group psychotherapy CPT 90791 - Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation CPT 90849 - Multiple-family group psychotherapy CPT 90832 - Psychotherapy, 30 minutes

Billing Notes for POS 53

Important: CMHCs billing Medicare for partial hospitalization must follow the same plan-of-care requirements as hospital-based PHP programs. Medicaid CMHC contracts often include bundled or encounter-based rates rather than fee-for-service CPT codes — confirm your contract's payment methodology. State licensure as a CMHC is required before using POS 53.

Common Mistakes with POS 53

✗Using POS 53 for an independent clinic that is not state-licensed or CMS-certified as a CMHC
✗Billing POS 52 (PHP) versus POS 53 (CMHC) interchangeably — they are distinct facility types with different billing rules
✗Failing to meet Medicare's active plan-of-care documentation requirements for CMHC partial hospitalization
✗Not confirming that Medicaid managed care plans honor POS 53 claims at the expected reimbursement level

Adding POS 53 to a Superbill

Superbilled lets you specify the Place of Service code on every superbill you generate. When creating a superbill with POS 53, ensure your NPI, the patient's diagnosis code, date of service, fee charged, and amount paid are all included. The correct POS code helps insurers process your claim accurately and avoid unnecessary denials.

Generate a superbill with POS 53 free