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Pediatric Coding Alert

E/M Coding:

These 3 FAQs Will Ensure You're Reporting Time-Based E/M Services Properly

Published on Tue Apr 12, 2011

One hour E/M visit? You don't warrant a prolonged service code yet, experts say.If coding for time-based E/M services still has you scratching your head, we've got the solution. The following three frequently-asked questions will get you on the straight and narrow.Last month's article "CPT Allows You to Select Code Based on 'Closest Typical Time' When Counseling Dominates Visit" prompted several follow-up questions from our subscribers. We selected the top three and broke down the coding regs to give you the lowdown.Get to Know the 'Midpoint' Coding RuleQuestion 1: I was glad to read that CPT has put into writing the fact that coders can pick the "closest typical time" when using time to choose an E/M level, but I've also heard in seminars that we can "round up" from a 31-minute visit to make it a full hour. Is this true, and if so, why isn't this in CPT?Answer: [...]
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