SimplePractice includes access to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes, which are owned and managed by the American Medical Association (AMA). Because the AMA charges a royalty for the use of these codes, SimplePractice applies an annual AMA fee.
This guide explains what the AMA fee is, who it applies to, and how it’s billed on an ongoing basis. We'll answer the following questions:
- Why am I being charged an AMA fee?
- Do other EHRs charge royalties for CPT code access?
- When will I be charged the AMA fee?
- Who will be charged the AMA fee?
- Is the AMA fee per practice or per clinician?
- Will I be charged sales tax for the AMA fee?
- Do I have to use CPT codes for insurance?
- If I don't do insurance billing, will I still be charged?
- Can I pay the AMA directly?
- I use CPT codes with other billing tools besides SimplePractice. Will I be charged by each billing tool I use?
- Are the codes I'm paying for available in SimplePractice?
- Will my practice manager, billers, schedulers, and supervisors also be charged?
- I have interns in my practice. Will they also be charged the fee?
- How is the fee calculated for a group practice?
- I don’t see many clients and only process several claims a month. Do I have to pay the full annual fee?
- Can I opt out of the AMA fee?
Note: On August 19, 2024, we notified customers by email about an additional fee for the use of CPT® codes in SimplePractice.
Why am I being charged an AMA fee?
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes are developed and maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA). The AMA owns the rights to these codes and charges a royalty for all clinicians, regardless of usage.
Because CPT codes are accessible through our platform, the AMA charges SimplePractice a royalty for each clinician that uses SimplePractice.
To provide ongoing access to these codes, SimplePractice charges an annual fee of $20 per clinician. This fee includes an $18.50 CPT royalty charged by the AMA and a $1.50 processing fee.
For more information about CPT licensing and royalties, see the AMA’s Standard CPT Distribution Pricing Schedule 2025.
Do other EHRs charge royalties for CPT code access?
We can't speak to how other EHRs manage CPT code royalties. For information about CPT licensing costs, refer to the AMA’s Standard CPT Distribution Pricing Schedule 2025.
When will I be charged the AMA fee?
You will be billed for the 2025 AMA fee in December on your invoicing date.
Who will be charged the AMA fee?
Every paid SimplePractice clinician is charged the AMA fee once per year.
Is the AMA fee per practice or per clinician?
The AMA fee is charged per clinician, at $20 per clinician per year.
Will I be charged sales tax for the AMA fee?
Sales tax is applied based on taxability of SimplePractice in your billing address jurisdiction.
Do I have to use CPT codes for insurance?
CPT codes are the standard service codes used when submitting insurance claims. For questions about which codes a specific insurance payer accepts, please contact the payer directly.
If I don't do insurance billing, will I still be charged?
Yes. All clinicians using SimplePractice are charged the AMA fee, regardless of whether they do insurance billing or whether they're located in United States or Canada. This replicates how SimplePractice is billed by the AMA.
CPT are embedded throughout the platform, and they support out-of-network billing, coding accuracy, and clinical documentation.
Can I pay the AMA directly?
While you can purchase a CPT license directly from the AMA, that license will not cover CPT code usage within SimplePractice. The CPT royalty charged to SimplePractice covers the use of CPT codes within our platform.
I use CPT codes with other billing tools besides SimplePractice. Will I be charged by each billing tool I use?
We can't speak to how other billing tools manage CPT royalties. Within SimplePractice, each clinician is charged a $20 annual AMA fee.
Are the codes I'm paying for available in SimplePractice?
Yes. CPT codes from the AMA are automatically available to use in SimplePractice.
For more information on using CPT codes, see Creating and using service codes and products.
Will my practice manager, billers, schedulers, and supervisors also be charged?
No. The AMA fee is only charged for team members who have a clinician role in SimplePractice. Practice managers, billers, schedulers, and supervisors aren’t charged.
I have interns in my practice. Will they also be charged the fee?
If an intern is assigned a clinician role in SimplePractice, the AMA fee applies.
How is the fee calculated for a group practice?
For group practices, the AMA fee is based on the total number of clinicians in your SimplePractice account.
I don’t see many clients and only process several claims a month. Do I have to pay the full annual fee?
Yes. The AMA sets CPT royalties as an annual per-clinician charge, regardless of how often CPT codes are used.
Can I opt out of the AMA fee?
No. Because the AMA charges SimplePractice the CPT royalty for all clinicians, it isn't possible to opt out of paying the AMA fee.