Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Now that the American Medical Association's push towards "clinical examples" for E/M coding seems to have hit a major snag, one expert has an alternative suggestion.

Instead of developing broader examples for E/M coding, the AMA should come up with examples of medical decision making documentation for physicians, says Marcella Bucknam, HIM Coordinator at Clarkson College.

Oftentimes, physicians will want to choose a higher level E/M code for a patient with a few chronic illnesses, but won't understand a coder's explanations of the MDM requirements. Some concrete examples would help physicians understand what's missing.