Texas Psychologist Testing Rates by Payer
Success fee only: $500 per contract when a negotiation succeeds. Flat prices, no percentage of collections.
Ask for a quoteOther services: get my pricePsychological testing rates differ from one payer to the next. The table below shows the median rate each payer has negotiated with individual Texas psychologists, taken from the payers' own published Transparency in Coverage files (October 2026; BCBS of Texas September 2026), next to Medicare's 2026 rates for Texas.
Median Negotiated Rate per Unit
| Code | UHC (Optum) | Aetna | Cigna | BCBS TX | Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90791 Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation | $175 $175 to $175 | $153 $148 to $153 | $116 $78 to $143 | $144 $141 to $159 | $169 to $176 |
| 96130 Psychological testing evaluation, first hour | $120 $120 to $120 | $107 $101 to $109 | $119 $119 to $121 | $104 $102 to $115 | $121 to $126 |
| 96131 Psychological testing evaluation, each additional hour | $87 $87 to $87 | $81 $74 to $82 | $91 $91 to $93 | $72 $71 to $80 | $85 to $88 |
| 96136 Test administration by the psychologist, first 30 minutes | $43 $43 to $43 | $41 $38 to $43 | $48 $48 to $48 | $30 $29 to $33 | $41 to $45 |
| 96137 Test administration by the psychologist, each additional 30 minutes | $39 $39 to $39 | $37 $35 to $39 | $45 $44 to $45 | $25 $24 to $27 | $35 to $38 |
| 96138 Test administration by a technician, first 30 minutes | $34 $34 to $34 | $33 $33 to $36 | $39 $39 to $39 | $31 $31 to $35 | $34 to $40 |
| 96139 Test administration by a technician, each additional 30 minutes | $35 $35 to $35 | $34 $33 to $36 | $39 $39 to $39 | $31 $31 to $35 | $32 to $37 |
Networks: UnitedHealthcare (Optum Behavioral Health): Optum Behavioral Health standard fee schedule; Aetna: Aetna Life Insurance Company (PPO/OAP); Cigna: Open Access Plus (national) and Pathwell OAP; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas: Blue Choice PPO. Medicare: CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule 2026, non-facility, Texas localities. Small numbers show the 25th to 75th percentile. UnitedHealthcare's behavioral network (Optum) pays one standard rate statewide, so its range is a single figure.
What a Full Evaluation Pays
Testing is billed in time units. A sample evaluation with a one-hour diagnostic interview (90791), two hours of test administration by the psychologist (96136 plus three units of 96137), and three hours of scoring, report and feedback (96130 plus two units of 96131) works out as follows at each payer's median:
- UnitedHealthcare (Optum Behavioral Health): about $629
- Aetna: about $574
- Cigna: about $600
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas: about $496
When a technician administers the tests, 96138 and 96139 replace 96136 and 96137. Prior authorization rules and hour limits per evaluation vary by plan, and these are allowed amounts, so they include the patient's share.
The gap between payers on a single battery is the kind of number a contracting department responds to, because it is specific and it comes from their own published files.
How to Use These Numbers
- Compare your current fee schedule to the median for each code. If you are below it on testing codes, you have a concrete, documented request.
- Ask for code-specific increases on 96130 through 96137 rather than a percentage on the whole schedule.
- Check that the rate is tied to the current-year Medicare schedule so it moves each January.
Method
Rates come from each payer's Transparency in Coverage in-network files. Clinicians are individual NPIs in the CMS NPPES registry with a psychologist taxonomy and a Texas practice location. Each clinician counts once per code and network; rates with modifiers are excluded. Where a payer publishes several network files, the file covering the most Texas psychologists is shown. More on the method.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do commercial payers pay Texas psychologists for 96130?
In the October 2026 files, the median negotiated rate for 96130 was $120 at UnitedHealthcare (Optum Behavioral Health), $107 at Aetna, $119 at Cigna, $104 at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Individual contracts vary, and these are allowed amounts that include the patient’s share.
Where does this data come from?
From each payer’s own Transparency in Coverage in-network rate files, which federal rules require insurers to publish monthly. PECS matches each rate to the clinician’s NPI and keeps individual Texas psychologists only.
Can a psychologist negotiate testing rates?
Often, yes. Testing is specialized and network supply is thin in many Texas counties, which is leverage. A code-specific written request that shows where your rate sits against the market is the starting point.
By the PECS credentialing team, updated October 17, 2026.