General Surgery Coding Alert
Look for Time or MDM in 2021
Question: Will we have to base every E/M coding decision on only time and medical decision making in 2021? New Jersey Subscriber Answer: Beginning in calendar year (CY) 2021, you’ll report code range 99202-99215 (Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of a new/established patient …) exclusively based on either time or medical decision making (MDM). The 1995/1997 E/M guidelines will still apply to the remaining E/M subsections. Keep in mind: The new guidelines on time reporting will vary slightly from the current 50 percent threshold guidelines. As of 2021, counseling and coordination of care services will not need to account for 50 percent of the visit in order to use time to determine E/M level. Rather, you’ll calculate the total amount of time spent with the patient, including non-face-face time used for prep and concluding the encounter, and report the respective code with an aligning typical time estimate. The times associated with each code and the MDM chart for 2021 has changed from what we know currently. Stay tuned to future issues of General Surgery Coding Alert for updates on the time/ code relationship.
General Surgery Coding Alert
- ICD-10-CM:
Learn Surgery-Relevant Diagnosis Code Changes for 2021
Start using new codes Oct. 1. Now’s the time for your general surgery practice to [...] - Diagnosis Coding:
Track ICD-10-CM 2021 Notes and Guidelines for Accurate Reporting
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Move Surgical Scenarios from 59 to X{EPSU}
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Contact COVID-19 Patients for Plasma Donation
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Look for Time or MDM in 2021
Question: Will we have to base every E/M coding decision on only time and medical [...] - Reader Questions:
Do This When Telehealth Turns Office Visit
Question: Our surgeon had a telehealth visit with a patient that resulted in the patient [...] - Reader Questions:
Find Code Choices for J-Tube Without Guidance
Question: I know there are G-tube replacement codes for procedures without imaging, but how should [...]
