Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Beware of CPT® and Medicare differences when counting HPI elements.Not accurately accounting for the history of present illness (HPI) documented by your oncologist could result in missing appropriate opportunities to report level 4 or 5 E/M visits. Ensure you're not missing higher paying possibilities by reviewing this guide to capturing HPI elements.Brush Up on What Qualifies as an HPI ElementHPI is one of the three parts comprising an outpatient E/M history. It describes the patient's present illness or problem, from the first sign/symptom to the current status, and typically drives a provider's decisions about the physical examination and treatment."The information gathered during the physical exam (PE) portion of a patient's evaluation often only shows avery limited picture of the patient's problem. However, speaking with a patient and gathering the history of the patient's problem" can help fill out the picture, explains Amanda S. Stoltman, CCS-P, compliance coder at Urology Associates [...]