Assessment
CPT 97152 — Supporting assessment by technician
Behavior identification supporting assessment, administered by a technician under the direction of a physician or other qualified health care professional, billed in 15-minute units.
- Billed by
- A technician (such as an RBT) administering assessment procedures under the direction of a BCBA. The BCBA still owns and bills the overarching assessment under 97151.
- Unit structure
- Time-based, billed in 15-minute units.
- Patient present
- Face-to-face with the patient — the technician is administering structured assessment procedures.
What it covers
The service behind the code.
- Technician administration of structured assessment procedures the BCBA assigned
- Standardized stimulus presentation and data collection during assessment
- Trial-based assessment tasks delivered under the BCBA's protocol
Documentation requirements
What the note has to show.
- The specific assessment procedures the technician administered
- The BCBA who directed the assessment and the protocol followed
- Data collected during the assessment session
- Start and end times supporting the units billed
Denials & downcoding
Why 97152 claims get rejected.
- No documented BCBA direction tying the technician's work to the 97151 assessment
- 97152 billed for what is really direct treatment (should be 97153)
- Missing assessment data — a note that describes activity but records no measurement
Clinically reviewed by BxScribe Clinical Team
BxScribe's clinical content is reviewed against current BACB ethics and documentation standards, CPT code descriptors, and common commercial and Medicaid payer requirements before publication. Last reviewed May 1, 2026. This page is educational and does not replace your payer contract or clinical judgment.
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Related codes
Codes often billed alongside 97152.
Glossary
Terms behind this code.
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FAQ
CPT 97152 questions.
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