Understanding Psychiatry Data on Sunlight Ledger

What Psychiatrists Do

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. They prescribe and manage medications for conditions including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, and PTSD. Some psychiatrists also provide psychotherapy, though many focus primarily on medication management (psychopharmacology) and refer patients to therapists for talk therapy.

Subspecialties include child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry.

Common Procedures in Medicare Data

  • Psychiatric evaluation — Initial diagnostic assessment, typically a longer appointment
  • Medication management visits — Brief follow-up appointments to monitor and adjust medications; the most frequently billed psychiatry service
  • Psychotherapy — Individual therapy billed in time-based increments, when provided by the psychiatrist
  • Collaborative care management — Coordination codes for integrated behavioral health programs
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) — For severe or treatment-resistant depression; performed in a subset of practices

What Normal Volume Looks Like

Psychiatrists who focus on medication management can see a high volume of patients in brief follow-up visits. A psychiatrist billing primarily for 15-minute medication management appointments may have high service counts but each visit is short. Psychiatrists providing full psychotherapy sessions will have fewer visits but longer and higher-value appointments.

Pharma Payments in Psychiatry

Psychiatry has historically had significant pharmaceutical industry payment activity. Companies marketing antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and ADHD medications have invested heavily in speaker bureaus and consulting relationships with psychiatrists. This is an area where the data warrants attention — a psychiatrist receiving consistent payments from a specific drug company while prescribing that company's medications is a meaningful pattern to understand.

Questions to Ask Your Psychiatrist

  • Do you have financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies whose medications you prescribe?
  • Is the medication you're recommending a first-line treatment for my condition according to current guidelines?
  • How do you monitor for side effects, and what is your process for adjusting treatment if it isn't working?
Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Industry payment disclosure alone establishes neither wrongdoing nor legality. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →