ABA CPT Code Changes for 2027: Old-to-New Crosswalk

For dates of service from January 1, 2027, CPT adds six codes (97148, +97149, 97159, +97160, 97173 and 97180), deletes 0362T and 0373T, and revises 97151-97158. A BCBA treating a patient directly moves from 97155 to 97173. The ABA Coding Coalition says the deleted codes get no grace period (supplemental guidance, p. 28); each payer sets its own load date.

For every code with who bills it, units and modifiers, see ABA CPT codes: every code in one table; more billing pages are in CPT Codes & Billing.

What changes on January 1, 2027?

The CPT Editorial Panel made the changes at its September 2025 meeting: it deleted 0362T and 0373T, revised eight existing codes (97151-97158) and created six new ones, and the RUC HCPAC reviewed the 14-code family in January 2026 (CMS CY 2027 proposed rule, 91 FR 43891). The ABA Coding Coalition, which submitted the code change application to the CPT Editorial Panel together with the ABAI ABA Billing Codes Commission, says the new and revised codes “take effect on January 1, 2027” and that the two Category III codes were replaced with Category I codes (Coalition crosswalk, p. 1).

Three changes matter most for billing:

• 97155 is no longer dual-use. It covers a BCBA or other QHP directing a technician, and direct treatment by the QHP moves to 97173.
• BCBA work without the patient gets a code. 97180 covers data review, protocol changes and patient-specific technician training, which were not separately reportable before 2027.
• The harmful-behavior codes become Category I. 97148 and 97159, with add-on codes for extra technicians, replace 0362T and 0373T.

For Medicare, CMS proposed to contractor price the six new codes and keep the eight revised codes contractor priced (91 FR 43891). The final rule was not published when we last checked the Federal Register on October 29, 2026.

The 2026-to-2027 ABA CPT crosswalk

The table maps each code billed in 2026 (the 2019 code set) to its 2027 code. It follows the Coalition’s conversion table (crosswalk, pp. 2-3) and its supplemental guidance. Every 2027 code is timed in 15-minute units. Table as of October 29, 2026.

Across the family, “protocol modification” is replaced with “analysis” in every code a QHP administers. The Coalition defines analysis as the QHP’s clinical work of observing the patient’s responses and deciding whether targets or protocols need adjusting. An adjustment is not required to bill, but the analysis, including a decision to change nothing, must be documented in the session note (supplemental guidance, pp. 1-2 and 22).

Where does 97155 go in 2027?

In 2026, 97155 covered both a BCBA treating the patient and a BCBA directing a technician. In 2027 those two uses become two codes, and work without the patient gets its own code. The rows follow the Coalition’s supplemental guidance (pages in the last column).

A single QHP cannot bill 97153 and 97155 for the same time: one person cannot be both the technician and the director (supplemental guidance, p. 16). For how the note supports each code, see CPT 97155 documentation.

97155 from 2027

From January 1, 2027, 97155 is no longer dual-use. It covers a BCBA or other QHP directing a technician, with analysis, while the technician works face to face with the patient, so it is normally billed alongside a technician code (97148, 97149, 97153, 97154, 97159 or 97160). The ABA Coding Coalition notes one uncommon exception: a QHP directing another QHP who leads a 97158 group. A BCBA treating the patient with no technician bills new code 97173, and 97155 and 97173 are not billed concurrently.

The Coalition prints the descriptor as “Adaptive behavior direction of technician with analysis by a physician or other qualified health care professional, face-to-face with a patient, each 15 minutes”; the CMS proposed rule prints “direction of technician and analysis” (91 FR 43891). Only the AMA’s CPT 2027 book settles the exact wording.

What is CPT 97173?

97173 is new for dates of service from January 1, 2027. As the ABA Coding Coalition prints it: “Adaptive behavior treatment with analysis, administered by a physician or other QHP, face-to-face with 1 patient, each 15 minutes.” It replaces the direct-treatment use of the old 97155. Per the ABA Coding Coalition, a BCBA who only stands in for an absent technician bills 97153 instead, and 97173 is not billed concurrently with 97155.

What is CPT 97180?

97180 is new for dates of service from January 1, 2027: non-face-to-face work a BCBA or other QHP personally performs, such as reviewing data and notes, changing targets or protocols, and patient-specific technician training. Each date is documented; a week’s time may be summed and billed on one claim line, and then any cost share under the patient’s plan applies to one date of service, not each day. Writing session notes, general training and care coordination do not count; 97180 is not reported on the same day as 97151.

In the Coalition’s worked week, a BCBA logs 30 minutes twice on Monday, 2 hours on Wednesday, 1 hour on Thursday and 1 hour on Friday: 5 hours, billed as 20 units of 97180 on Friday (supplemental guidance, p. 13). The Coalition attributes the 7-day summing to “CPT guidance”; whether the CPT book states it is one of the items still to confirm. The not-reportable list, a filled fictional week and a weekly log are in CPT 97180: how to log and bill BCBA non-face-to-face time.

As of October 29, 2026. Sources: ABA Coding Coalition 2027 guidance and the CMS CY 2027 proposed rule. CPT is a registered trademark of the AMA.

What changed in the 97151-97158 descriptors?

Each revised code keeps its number. The paragraphs below give the 2027 change for each one; the full code reference is on ABA CPT codes: every code in one table.

97151: wording change only

For dates of service from January 1, 2027, 97151 stays the assessment and reassessment code for a BCBA or other QHP; its descriptor changes only slightly (“caregiver(s)” replaces “guardian(s)/caregiver(s)”). The ABA Coding Coalition’s guidance adds three points: day-to-day data review is billed with new code 97180, 97151 and 97180 are not reported on the same day for the same patient, and the Coalition recommends reporting 97151 on each date of service, because the current Medicare MUE (8 units a day) is lower than typical authorizations.

More on the assessment code: CPT 97151 documentation guide.

97152: “under the direction of” dropped

From January 1, 2027, 97152 is “administered by technician”: the 2019 words “under the direction of a physician or other qualified healthcare professional” are dropped. The ABA Coding Coalition says 97155 is not billed with 97152. A BCBA who sits in on a 97152 session cannot bill that time, and time spent training the technician on the assessment protocol beforehand, without the patient, is reported with new code 97180.

More: CPT 97152 documentation guide.

97153: “under the direction of” dropped

From January 1, 2027, 97153 reads “administered by technician, face-to-face with one patient”: “under the direction of” a physician or other QHP is dropped. It is still the technician’s 1:1 code (for example, an RBT’s). Per the ABA Coding Coalition, a BCBA who only fills in for an absent technician also bills 97153 (some payers want a modifier); a BCBA treating with analysis bills new code 97173. BCBA review of session data afterwards goes to new code 97180.

More: CPT code 97153.

97154: group maximum removed

From January 1, 2027, 97154 drops “under the direction of” a physician or other QHP, and the prior group maximum of 8 patients is removed: the QHP sets group size, though payer rules can still limit it. Report 97154 for each patient in the group. Per the ABA Coding Coalition, a BCBA directing the technician reports 97155 only for the patients they directed, and 97154 and 97158 are not billed together.

More: CPT 97154 documentation guide.

97156: “with analysis” and caregiver training added

From January 1, 2027, 97156 becomes family treatment guidance “with analysis” and adds “including discussing protocols and treatment targets and/or training the caregiver(s) to implement assessment or treatment protocols with the patient.” The ABA Coding Coalition says caregiver check-ins are billable only when they relate to the child’s treatment targets, possible future targets, or caregiver training on them. Rewriting the written protocol afterwards is billed with new code 97180.

More: CPT 97156 caregiver documentation guide.

97157: group maximum removed

From January 1, 2027, 97157 becomes multiple-family group guidance “with analysis,” and the prior group maximum of 8 is removed: the QHP sets group size, though payer rules can still limit it. Report 97157 once for each patient whose caregiver or caregivers attended. Per the ABA Coding Coalition, a session with caregivers from only one family, such as the parents of three siblings, is billed as 97156, not 97157.

More: CPT 97157 documentation guide.

97158: “protocol modification” becomes “analysis”

From January 1, 2027, 97158 replaces “with protocol modification” with “with analysis”: the BCBA still leads the group and decides whether targets or protocols need adjusting, and documents that decision even when nothing changes. The prior group maximum of 8 patients is removed. Report 97158 for each patient in the group. Per the ABA Coding Coalition, 97154 and 97158 are not billed together.

More: CPT 97158 compliance update.

As of October 29, 2026. Sources: ABA Coding Coalition 2027 guidance and the CMS CY 2027 proposed rule. CPT is a registered trademark of the AMA.

What happens to 0362T and 0373T?

0362T and 0373T, the Category III codes for assessing and treating destructive behavior, are deleted for dates of service on or after January 1, 2027, and the ABA Coding Coalition says there is no grace period. 0362T is replaced by 97148 (+97149) and 0373T by 97159 (+97160). The new codes say “harmful” rather than “destructive” and add add-on codes (+97149, +97160) for technicians beyond two, up to five in total. Ask each payer how it will handle claims around the switch.

The no-grace-period statement is the Coalition’s reading of CPT; a payer may still announce its own handling (supplemental guidance, p. 28).

What do 97148 and 97159 cover?

For dates of service from January 1, 2027, four codes cover harmful behavior: 97148 (supporting assessment) and 97159 (treatment), each delivered by two technicians in an environment customized to the patient’s behavior, plus add-on codes +97149 and +97160 for each technician beyond two, up to five in total. The QHP must be on site (telehealth can meet this where medically necessary, clinically appropriate and allowed by the payer and state law); if present, the QHP bills 97155. They replace deleted codes 0362T and 0373T.

The old codes required “administration by the physician or other qualified health care professional who is on site; with the assistance of two or more technicians” (91 FR 43891). The new ones are “delivered by two technicians”, and their time is reported once for the pair, not per technician (supplemental guidance, pp. 9-10 and 19). The Coalition also says the harmful-behavior codes are not for a second technician added on the spot during a scheduled 1:1 session, because the customized environment is unlikely to be in place (pp. 8 and 19).

As of October 29, 2026. Sources: ABA Coding Coalition 2027 guidance and the CMS CY 2027 proposed rule. CPT is a registered trademark of the AMA.

How do you convert a 2026 authorization to 2027 codes?

The Coalition’s supplemental guidance (p. 30) shows one sample 6-month (26-week) authorization under both code sets. The 312 units of 97155 split by what the BCBA actually did, and 97180 is added. This is the Coalition’s illustration, not a rule or a payer formula; your payer decides how, or whether, it converts authorizations. Payer decision deadlines and what happens to an authorization that spans January 1 are in the ABA prior authorization timeline for 2027.

The arithmetic: 208 + 104 = 312, so the direct-contact BCBA time is unchanged and only its code changes; the 52 units of 97180 are new time that could not be billed before. Each hour is 4 units of 15 minutes. The Coalition adds that there is no set ratio for 97180, and cites CASP guidelines of an average of 1-2 hours of QHP activity (97155, 97173 and 97180 together) for every 10 hours of technician treatment (supplemental guidance, p. 11).

For an authorization that runs across December 31, ask the payer whether it converts the units itself or wants a new request (the next sections list what to ask).

Which payers have adopted the 2027 codes?

As of October 29, 2026, we found no payer announcement on adopting, pricing or crosswalking the new codes. We searched the web for 97173, 97180 and the harmful-behavior codes together with each payer’s name; this table is updated in place as payers publish, with each change logged at the bottom of the page.

Two Coalition statements frame the wait. Under HIPAA, a payer that accepts electronic claims must use valid Category I CPT codes, but HIPAA does not decide whether the payer covers a code, what it pays or what it requires to authorize it (supplemental guidance, p. 28; the code-set standards are at 45 CFR 162.1002). And not every payer is required to switch on January 1: each has its own procedures and timeline, so providers should get each payer’s timeline in writing before January 1 (p. 29). This is the Coalition’s reading, not legal advice.

On telehealth, the proposed rule adds no ABA code to the Medicare Telehealth Services List for 2027 (91 FR 43863). The Coalition says CMS added the 2019 ABA codes to its permanent telehealth list in 2026 and that coverage still varies by state law and payer (supplemental guidance, p. 30). The proposed rule does not address the six new codes; the final rule may. For one commercial payer’s current rules, see Optum ABA billing changes. Medicare pricing, telehealth dates and place-of-service codes are in Medicare ABA billing in 2027, and the session-level rules in the ABA telehealth compliance checklist.

What should you ask each payer before January?

The Coalition’s suggestions for providers include a template letter and this list of what to ask each payer (Preparing for implementation, p. 2):

1. The date the new codes will be listed in the payer’s claims system.
2. The payer’s crosswalk from each current code to its successor.
3. The contracted rate for each new code.
4. Whether authorizations issued under the current codes will be converted automatically.
5. How claims for dates of service spanning the transition will be handled, and whether there is a grace period during which the current codes will still be paid.
6. The date providers will be notified of the changes.

Keep the answers in writing, dated, for each payer.

Who is affected, and what should you do before January 1?

Every ABA provider that bills CPT codes is affected; how much depends on how often your BCBAs billed 97155 for direct treatment and whether you bill 0362T or 0373T. A short list for the next two months:

• Payers: send the six questions above to each payer and file the answers.
• Billing system: set up 97173, 97180, 97148, +97149, 97159 and +97160 with the payer’s rates once known, and stop 0362T and 0373T for dates of service from January 1, 2027.
• Authorizations: list every authorization that runs past December 31 and its 97155 units, and agree the split with the payer (see the conversion above).
• Notes: update templates so each BCBA note shows who was present (technician or not) and the analysis, including a decision to change nothing; that is what separates 97155 from 97173, and billing a code the note does not support risks billing misrepresentation.
• 97180: decide how BCBAs log non-face-to-face time by date, and which activities count (see the 97180 section).

What changes for RBTs?

For RBTs and other technicians, the codes they bill (97152, 97153 and 97154) keep their numbers; the descriptors drop “under the direction of” a physician or other QHP. Two things change around them. A BCBA directing them now bills 97155 alongside their code, and a BCBA who only stands in for them bills 97153 (supplemental guidance, pp. 16 and 24). Harmful-behavior assessment and treatment are now delivered by two technicians under 97148 and 97159 (p. 6 and p. 17).

Did the ABA codes change in 2025 or 2026?

No. Authorizations in 2026 still use “the 2019 CPT code set” (supplemental guidance, p. 30), and the Coalition describes the 2027 changes as fixing “limitations identified through implementation of the 2019 code set” (template payer letter, p. 3). 97151-97158, 0362T and 0373T were the ABA codes from 2019 through 2026. Coverage around them moved (CMS added the 2019 codes to its permanent Medicare telehealth list in 2026, supplemental guidance p. 30), but we found no change to the codes themselves (our reading of these sources).

What is still unknown?

• The Medicare final rule. The CY 2027 Physician Fee Schedule final rule (RIN 0938-AV82) was not in the Federal Register on October 29, 2026. When it appears, this page will quote it on pricing and telehealth.
• Edits and limits. The Coalition says it is developing a model coverage policy, updated FAQs and updates to the 2027 Medically Unlikely Edits and Procedure-to-Procedure (NCCI) edits for the new codes (Preparing for implementation, p. 1).
• Payer rates and dates. None announced (tracker above).
• Exact AMA wording. This page quotes the descriptors as the Coalition and CMS print them. They differ in small ways, such as “with analysis” or “and analysis” for 97155, and “training on or reviewing” in 97180’s last element, which the July proposed rule does not have. The AMA’s CPT 2027 Professional book settles the exact text.

Sources

• American Medical Association. CPT 2027 Professional Edition (owner of the code set and descriptors; quoted here as the sources below print them).
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CY 2027 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule, proposed rule, CMS-1848-P, 91 FR 43842 (July 16, 2026). Adaptive behavior services, p. 43891; telehealth list, p. 43863.
• ABA Coding Coalition. 2027 Adaptive Behavior Assessment and Treatment Code Conversion Table, with cover letter dated September 11, 2026.
• ABA Coding Coalition. Supplemental Guidance on Interpreting and Applying the Revised 2027 CPT Codes for Adaptive Behavior Services (published October 2026).
• ABA Coding Coalition. Preparing for Implementation of the 2027 CPT Codes for Adaptive Behavior Services: Suggestions for ABA Providers, with template payer letter (October 2026).
• 45 CFR 162.1002, HIPAA medical data code sets.

This page is billing information, not legal advice. Check each payer’s policy before you bill. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.

Changelog

• October 29, 2026: page published. No payer announcements found. CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule not yet published. Replaces our 2025 billing updates page.

Reviewed by the Praxis Notes team on October 29, 2026.