Changes to Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) billing can bring a lot of practical questions about scheduling, documentation, code selection, and claims. You do not need to figure everything out at once. Fusion is preparing tools and guidance to support your team through the transition, from setting up the new billing codes and appointment presets to documenting direct, one-on-one treatment time and reviewing the right billing details.
This FAQ is a starting point and a resource you can return to as the transition approaches. We will keep it updated as requirements are finalized and new Fusion features become available. We will also add links to step-by-step articles, examples, and training resources so your team has clear guidance when it is time to take action.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Coding, authorization, and reimbursement requirements may vary by payer. Use this FAQ for general preparation and confirm payer-specific requirements before submitting claims. This FAQ is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, compliance, or coding advice.
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Understand the 2027 Change
When will the change take effect?
Medicare’s transition is scheduled for January 1, 2027. Continue using your current workflow for dates of service through December 31, 2026, unless a payer gives you different instructions. Medicaid and private payers have not yet announced formal transition dates. We will share updated guidance as final code, payer, and product details become available.
What is changing with billing for individual SLP treatment?
The current individual treatment code, CPT 92507, is expected to be replaced for dates of service beginning January 1, 2027. The new structure separates individual treatment by clinical focus and introduces timed base and add-on codes. This means the treatment area and the amount of time spent providing the service will play a larger role in code selection and billing.
What types of treatment will the new codes cover?
The new code pairs are organized around five treatment areas: fluency; speech sound production; language comprehension and expression; combined speech sound production and language; and voice, upper airway dysfunction, and/or resonance. Each area is expected to include a base code for the initial 30 minutes and an add-on code for additional 15-minute increments.
Will every SLP billing code change?
No. This transition is focused on the individual treatment code 92507. Other codes, such as group treatment, swallowing treatment, evaluations, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication-related services, are not being replaced as part of this specific change. Some code descriptions or payer edits may still be updated, so always review current payer guidance.
What Codes Are Replacing 92507?
| Clinical Service | Base Code for the Initial 30 Minutes | Add-on Code for each Additional 15 Minutes |
| Fluency disorders | 92654 | +92655 |
| Speech sound production disorders | 92656 | +92657 |
| Language comprehension and expression disorders | 92658 | +92659 |
| Combined speech sound production and language disorders | 92660 | +92661 |
| Voice, upper airway dysfunction, and/or resonance disorders | 92662 | +92663 |
Learn More: Speech-Language Pathology Treatment Codes Replacing 92507
Select Codes and Document Services
How will timed billing affect a typical visit?
With timed codes, the billable units depend on the direct, one-on-one treatment time that supports a specific code. Current coding guidance for the new code family includes minimum time thresholds for reporting the base codes. Practices should follow final CPT instructions and payer-specific billing guidance when determining whether a base code or add-on code may be reported. An add-on unit is expected when the full base period is met plus enough additional time for the 15-minute add-on. Your documentation should clearly support the time, treatment focus, and clinical need for the service billed.
What should therapists document for timed services?
Therapists should document the total direct, one-on-one treatment time and enough detail to connect the time to the service provided. Documentation should support both the clinical service category billed and the direct treatment time associated with that service. Notes should also show what was addressed, the skilled intervention provided, the patient’s response, and why the service was clinically appropriate. If more than one treatment area is billed, the note should support the distinct time and work associated with each area.
What if a therapist addresses more than one treatment area in the same visit?
The code selection should reflect the services actually provided and the time supported for each treatment area. A combined code is expected for visits that address both speech sound production and language. Other combinations may require separate, distinct time for each base code. Avoid dividing time only to reach a billing threshold. The documentation and code selection should reflect the patient’s clinical needs and the work performed.
How do I know which billing codes to use?
Start with the base code that best matches the primary treatment area addressed during the visit, similar to how physical and occupational therapy services are associated with the service performed. The new SLP code family is organized by disorder category, so the selected code should reflect the skilled service delivered and supported in the documentation. If more than one area is addressed, use the applicable coding guidance and payer rules to determine whether a combined code or separate, distinct services are appropriate.
Fusion can help present a suggested starting code based on the appointment preset. The therapist remains responsible for confirming that the final treatment category, time, and billing codes accurately reflect the services delivered during the visit. Your practice can create appointment presets for common disorder categories and include the appropriate base billing code in each preset. When that preset is used, the code will populate on the daily note as a starting point for the therapist to review and adjust based on the actual services provided.
Practices that use Flowsheets can also create activities for each disorder category and assign the related base code to those activities. When the activity is documented, Fusion can populate the associated code on the daily note. The therapist remains responsible for confirming that the final codes and documented time accurately reflect the visit.
What about mutually exclusive billing code pairs?
Fusion claim rules can be configured to identify code combinations that should not be billed together. When the applicable code edits and payer requirements are finalized, practices can use claim rules to help flag incompatible combinations before a claim is submitted.
Because code edits and payer policies may differ, claim rules should support the requirements your organization follows and should be reviewed as policies change. Claim rules are an added safeguard, but billing teams should continue reviewing claims and payer guidance before submission.
How will modifiers be handled?
Fusion plans to support the billing modifiers and other claim details needed for the new workflow. Where possible, the system will help surface or apply the appropriate information based on the visit, time, and payer setup. Because modifier requirements vary, users should review the claim and follow payer-specific guidance before submission.
Manage Payers and Authorizations
Will my existing authorizations automatically convert to the new codes?
Not necessarily. Many payers will likely require updated authorizations, revised treatment plans, or additional documentation. Contact payers well before January 1, 2027 to understand their transition requirements.
Will payer requirements be the same?
We cannot confirm individual payer requirements at this time. Medicare, Medicaid programs, and commercial payers may adopt or process the new codes differently, and their authorization, modifier, unit, and reimbursement rules may vary.
To be ready before the transition, contact your contracted payers and review their guidance with your billing team.
What happens to existing authorizations that reference 92507?
That decision will be payer-specific. Ask each payer whether an authorization that continues into 2027 must be updated with the new code or codes. Start with the payers that represent the largest share of your SLP visits so your team has time to complete any required updates before the first affected date of service.
Can billing rules be updated if the final rule or payer policies change?
Fusion's planned approach aligns with the proposed rule and is based on the core structure of the new code family, which includes treatment-specific base codes, related add-on codes, and time-supported billing.
Payer-specific requirements may still change, including covered codes, modifiers, authorization rules, unit limits, and claim edits. Fusion configuration and claim rules can be updated as those requirements become available. Practices should continue monitoring payer communications and update their settings and internal procedures when needed.
Prepare and Configure Fusion
What can our practice do now to prepare?
You do not need to change your billing workflow yet. For now, identify your most common SLP visit types and lengths, review how direct, one-on-one treatment time is documented, list your highest-volume payers, and decide who will own code setup, preset setup, payer outreach, and staff education. These steps will make the final transition easier once requirements and Fusion tools are ready.
Can I start setting up the new billing codes now?
Not yet. The new codes are available; however, Fusion does not yet support the base and add-on code workflow. Clinics should wait to configure these codes until support for that functionality has been released, and continue using CPT 92507 for applicable dates of service through December 31, 2026.
Final Medicare payment policies are expected in the 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule. Payers may then publish their own implementation guidance.
You can still prepare by identifying who will own code setup, listing your common treatment categories and visit lengths, planning appointment presets and Flowsheet activities, and tracking questions for your highest-volume payers. Fusion will share setup instructions when the required details are final, and the product workflow is ready.
How will I add the new billing codes in Fusion?
Fusion will enable authorized users to add and manage the new billing codes using the existing Billing Codes management workflow once the final code details are available and the feature is released.
Can I create appointment presets with the new codes already included?
Yes. Fusion will support appointment presets that can include the appropriate billing code set up. Presets can help teams start from a consistent visit configuration while still allowing the therapist to make changes based on the services provided. Presets should be used as a starting point and should not replace clinical review of the final services delivered during the visit. We will share recommended setup examples for common SLP visit types.
Can Fusion handle the new 30-minute base codes and 15-minute add-on codes?
Fusion is being updated to support the new time-based structure. The planned workflow will support a base code for the initial 30 minutes and the related add-on code or units for additional 15-minute increments, based on the final coding and payer requirements.
Therapists will document the treatment area and time provided, then review the billing details before completing the note. The goal is to reduce manual time calculations while keeping the therapist in control of the final documentation and coding.
Will therapists need to calculate units on their own?
Fusion is being designed to assist with time tracking and billing calculations. Therapists remain responsible for verifying that the final codes, units, and documentation accurately reflect the services provided. Our planned workflow will help connect the time entered for treatment to the appropriate billing units and details. Therapists will still review the information for accuracy before finalizing documentation and billing.
Will Fusion give therapists guidance before they complete the note?
Fusion's planned add-on billing code workflow will provide support while the therapist is documenting the visit. Based on the direct, one-on-one treatment time entered, the workflow is expected to help the therapist identify when a related add-on code may apply and review the billing information before the note is finalized.
This guidance is intended to reduce missed or inconsistent billing details, not replace clinical judgment. The therapist should confirm that the treatment category, time, code selection, and note all reflect the services actually provided.
Where will I find Fusion updates and training?
We will update this FAQ as information is finalized and Fusion capabilities are released. Future updates will include links to code setup instructions, appointment preset guidance, timed documentation examples, modifier and billing workflows, and staff training resources. Watch Fusion customer communications and the Help Center for the latest information.