Mastering 97156 & 97157 Codes

Learn how to write 97156 and 97157 caregiver training notes that survive payor review. Includes documentation framework, common audit failures, and a sample note.

By Zach Rosen, Co-Founder & CEO, Brellium

CPT code 97156 is used for face-to-face training sessions where a BCBA provides guidance to parents or caregivers on how to implement ABA strategies effectively. CPT Code 97157 covers group caregiver training.

These services are designed to help families reinforce therapeutic interventions outside of structured therapy sessions, improving the consistency of treatment across different environments.

97156 and 91757 codes are also among the most heavily scrutinized in ABA, and pressure is increasing to get them right. In a recent webinar, 75% of BCBAs and ABA practice owners said they've been facing more requests from payors to document caregiver support— yet the majority of attendees weren't confident in their practice's caregiver support systems and processes.

In this guide, we leverage proprietary data straight from Brellium audits to reveal trends in 97156 and 97157 documentation. This guide draws from our experience auditing ABA practices nationwide. We reveal:

• The most common clinical and technical errors that cause 97156 and 97157 notes to fail Brellium reviews.
• A compliance checklist you can print and hand to your QA team to use during reviews.
• Details about how switching to proactive chart review can help spot errors upstream, to catch issues before they become billing problems.

About the author

Zach Rosen

Co-Founder & CEO, Brellium

CEO and Co-Founder of Brellium.