Jeannie Cagle joins Mark Reiboldt to share the good news about evaluation and management (E/M) coding changes for 2021! Although telehealth and COVID-19 impacts received the most attention in the Proposed Rule, the E/M coding changes are still coming, and CMS will release the Final Rule by the end of 2020.

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Episode Synopsis

As part of the Patients over Paperwork initiative, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is simplifying the documentation to support billing outpatient E/M professional services.

In summary, the new guidelines affect only new and established office/outpatient E/M codes (99201-99215); however, they will significantly alter documentation of the patient visit. These changes will remove the history and exam as key components, and base code-level selection on either Medical Decision Making (MDM) or time. Also, the proposed increase in RVU value will create a financial boost.

Coding education and audits are more important than ever. Medical decision making is moving to the core of medical coding with less emphasis on technicalities to support the level of coding. An educated physician is our number one priority!

Coker Group is offering either a turn-key solution or a customized approach based on each client’s individual needs. Our extensive coding team, including certified professional coders and RNs, will complete these services with our in-house coding and compliance senior vice president, Roz Cordini, JD, MSN, RN, CHC, CHPC, overseeing Coker’s coding team.

The components of these services include:

• Assessment of education and training needs for both providers and in-house coders
• Discussion with EMR template managers to determine internal policies for new requirements and necessary template revisions
• Development of a go-forward audit plan for provider documentation and coding audits
• 2021 follow-up education and audits

Contact us today and use promo code EM2021 to receive a free checklist to assess the training needs for your healthcare providers and staff.

Send me the checklist!