Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Question:We quite often bill a well woman and sick visit on the same day if the sick visit warrants a separate code for it. We use a modifier 25 for the E/M code. The claim usually processes with a patient's carrier with no problem. However, one of our insurance carriers recently has started to process the E/M code at 50-percent of the allowable and states, "This procedure has been paid at 50-percent of the reasonable and customary rate, due to multiple procedures performed on same date." Does that multiple procedure rule apply to E/M codes? I would think no, because coders are supposed to use modifier 25 for E/M codes only and use a different modifier for multiple procedures. That, to me, indicates that E/M services do not use the same rules. Is my logic making sense? Or should I just tell my docs to reschedule the WWE and E/M [...]