ABA 97155 Supervision Billing — 2026 Documentation Guide
CPT 97155 (Adaptive behavior treatment with protocol modification, administered by physician or qualified healthcare professional) is where 90% of ABA retro-denials happen in 2026. Payer audits target 97155 supervision documentation aggressively.
What 97155 Actually Requires
- BCBA (not BCaBA/RBT) delivering or directly supervising
- Face-to-face time with client OR real-time protocol modification
- Written progress note tying supervision to specific measurable outcome
- Time-stamped record of BCBA presence
Top 3 Retro-Denial Reasons
- BCBA present in building but not with client (payer audit finding)
- Protocol not actually modified (just observed)
- Time-stamp missing or inconsistent with other billed sessions
Fix — Documentation Template
Every 97155 note must include: (1) BCBA name + credential, (2) start time, (3) end time, (4) specific protocol modification made, (5) measurable outcome data, (6) client response.
Case Study
Free 30-day 97155 audit · Pricing 4-8%
– KD, Revenant Care